Politics & Government
Poll: Quinn Frontrunner for Mayor
City Council speaker is the city's top choice for next mayor, Quinnipiac says.
City Council Speaker Christine Quinn is the leader of the pack among New York City mayoral contenders, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday.
Quinn currently has a 65 percent approval rating – higher than Mayor Michael Bloomberg – and will go into the 2013 New York City mayoral election year with the support of 32 percent of Democratic voters, more than the combined take of the next four candidates.
Former City Comptroller Bill Thompson has 10 percent, Public Advocate Bill de Blasio has 9 percent, and Comptroller John Liu has 5 percent. Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer recently dropped out of the race, but had garnered only 4 percent, according to the poll.
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“The race for the White House is over and it's time to look at the New York City mayoral race, where the possibly decisive Democratic primary could be as early as June. The morning line? City Council Speaker Christine Quinn leaves the other Democratic contenders in the dust," said Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.
The poll also found that 60 percent of the public would rather vote for an unnamed Democratic candidate over MTA Chairman Joseph Lhota – if he put his hat in the ring. And in the same scenario, 62 percent of voters would choose any Democratic candidate over former Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion, if he ran on the Republican line
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"Politics buffs are talking about MTA Chair Joseph Lhota and former Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion as possible Republican contenders for the West Wing at City Hall, but the public hasn't caught up with the pundits. Lhota and Carrion lose big to a generic Democrat,” Carroll added.
Lhota does have one very important endorsement though – that of former mayor Rudy Rudy Giuliani, who called Lhota a “fantastic” choice to run the city.
"If Joe were to get into this race, the mayor would be an enthusiastic supporter," Jake Menges, a political adviser to Giuliani, told the Wall Street Journal. "The mayor would do anything he could to help Joe get elected if Joe decided to be a candidate."