Anthony Weiner seemed to have a bumpy entry to the mayoral race, although things can change throughout the season. According to a new Quinnipiac poll released Friday morning, Christine Quinn is still the favorite mayoral candidate among registered democratic primary voters with 28%, yet well short of the 40% threshold to avoid a runoff. Anthony Weiner is in second place with 15%, Bill de Blasio with a mere 11%, Bill thompson with 10% and John Liu with 9%.
“The Democratic primary for New York City mayor still looks like Council Speaker Christine Quinn versus the guys,” said Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. “With his better name recognition, former Congressman Anthony Weiner jumps into the mix at 15 percent. With his negatives, however, the question is whether he can get much higher. The one significant element if he enters the race is that it makes it far less likely for Speaker Quinn to hit that magic 40 per cent.”
nevertheless, voters are split in their view whether Mr. Weiner should be given a second chance or at the very least give voters a chance to express their opinion of him by ballot. 41 percent of New York City voters say Weiner should run for mayor this year, while 44
percent want him to stay out of the race, according to Quinnipiac.
Joe Lhota, the leading Republican candidate has moved up 2 points since the last Quinnipiac April 10 poll, in a matchup against Christine Quinn. all of them shifting form the undecided to Mr. Lhota's column, which might suggest that the remaining 13% undecided would be more inclined to vote for Mr. Lhota, still considered a long shot in this mayoral race.
Mr. Lhota fair best against Anthony Weiner in a possible matchup, according to the Quinnipiac poll. Weiner leads Lhota 51-26 with 15% undecided. But what's more striking in the poll, is that Weiner gets the support of only 67% of registered Democrats in comparison to Lhota's 77%. Lhota also manages to draw into a tie among Independent voters, trailing Mr. Weiner 40-37.
65% of respondents have not yet heard enough of Mr. Lhota to form a favorable/unfavorable position, while only 23% of respondent say the same about Mr. Weiner, who's favorability numbers are in decline 33/41.
Weiner has "name recognition" but is from his outrageous fall from grace. While Democrats have the edge in NYC and the demographic of voters is ever shifting towards minorities, many of them have not been entirely happy with recent developments. A Republican like Lhota could squeak in given his current endorsement by the Libertarian Party, a place where both disaffected Republicans and Democrats have increasingly been drifting to. Lhota represents the best qualities of the Giuliani reign while also embracing social acceptance. With so many potential candidates on the mayoral ballot Lhota could end up receiving the most votes.
ReplyDeleteThe Polyanna 1950's vintage America that I grew up in is over. Whoever ascends to mayor will truly have a brave new world to govern. Joe Lhota is the only man in the field who has the qualifications for the job. It is his Libertarian leanings that he will need to rely on most as mayor as his state and country face great challenges and it will be up to him sitting in the center of the known universe to solve. On another important note, I certainly would never want a piss-ant legislator like Scott Stringer controlling our tax dollars. Let Kristin Davis have that job.
ReplyDelete