Both Bill De Blasio And Eliot Spitzer Have Gigantic Leads In New NYC Poll
The poll shows de Blasio with a 14-point lead over former city Comptroller Bill Thompson in the mayoral race. Meanwhile, in the comptroller race, former Gov. Eliot Spitzer leads challenger Scott Stringer by a 15-point margin (50-35).
The de Blasio number follows a Quinnipiac survey released Wednesday that put him up 15 points. But Spitzer's standing is a huge swing from Thursday's Quinnipiac poll, which showed him and Stringer in a dead heat.
The primary is Sept. 10.
Spitzer's strength lies in his support with black voters, who back him by a 67-17 margin. That number is significant to watch, since Quinnipiac had him shrinking Thursday from a 47-point advantage two weeks ago to a 12-point advantage in their poll Thursday. Spitzer also grabs the majority of the vote from both men and women.
The Spitzer campaign referred to the Stringer campaign's exuberant comment from Thursday's poll:
"Polling is catching up to what we are seeing on the subways and streets. New Yorkers are looking for a comptroller with a proven record of honesty, integrity and putting the middle-class first."
In the mayoral race, de Blasio carries a huge lead thanks to advantages with nearly every single demographic. He leads Thompson by 10 points among black voters, and he leads City Council Speaker Christine Quinn by 13 points among women.
De Blasio is viewed favorably by 57% of likely Democratic voters, compared with 17% who view him favorably.
He is 8 points away from avoiding a runoff. A candidate needs 40% to avoid a runoff and win the primary outright — or the top-two primary finishers move on to the runoff.