New Poll Confirms Strong Lead for de Blasio

Public Advocate Bill de Blasio — once thought by many to be too liberal in his policy positions, and too grandiose in his ideas for the city — has earned widespread voter support and is now in a strong position to win the Democratic nomination in New York City's mayoral race, according to two recently released polls.

With less than two weeks until Primary Day, thirty-two percent of Democratic voters say they plan on supporting de Blasio and fifty-seven percent of Democrats in the city say they view him favorably, according to a poll by The New York Times and Siena College released Friday.

Former comptroller Bill Thompson and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn — the longtime favorite of the race — are in a tight battle for second place. Thompson has eighteen percent of the vote, and Quinn has seventeen percent, according to the survey.

A poll released by Quinnipiac University on Aug. 28 found similar results: de Blasio ahead with thirty-six percent of the vote — nearly reaching the forty percent threshold needed to avoid a runoff election.

"Voters are responding to Bill de Blasio because he is the only Democrat who will boldly break from the Bloomberg years by raising taxes on the wealthy to invest in universal pre-K and after-school programs, ending racial profiling, and fighting to save community hospitals," said Bill Hyers, de Blasio's campaign manager, on Wednesday.

That poll also showed Thompson and Quinn in a heated race for second place. Quinn with twenty-once percent, and Thompson with twenty percent.

It concluded that both de Blasio and Thompson would defeat Quinn in a runoff election. But Quinn's team remains confident.

"The polling in this race has been topsy-turvy for months," said Mike Morey, a spokesman for Quinn, on Wednesday. "We expect a tight race and we expect that on primary night Christine Quinn will be in a runoff, because New Yorkers want an effective progressive who can actually get things done."

The final televised debate among Democratic candidates will be held on Sept. 3. Primary Day is Sept. 10.