Mayor Olivia Chow continues to hold the lead in Toronto’s mayoral race, but a new poll suggests the contest could become more competitive with former federal cabinet minister Chris Alexander officially entering the field.
A new Liaison Strategies survey released Friday puts Chow at 47 per cent support among decided and leaning voters, compared with 40 per cent for Brad Bradford.
Alexander, who recently launched his mayoral campaign, starts with 10 per cent support, while three per cent of respondents chose another candidate.
Among all respondents, including undecided voters, Chow receives 38 per cent support, Bradford sits at 32 per cent, Alexander has eight per cent, three per cent chose another candidate and 20 per cent remain undecided.
The results suggest Chow’s overall advantage remains largely intact despite a new high-profile challenger entering the race. In Liaison’s previous poll, conducted before Alexander was included as an option, Chow led Bradford 49 per cent to 41 per cent among decided and leaning voters.
Chris Alexander enters the race at 10%
While Alexander begins the race with double-digit support, the survey indicates he still has a long way to go in building name recognition with municipal voters.
More than six in 10 respondents said they are not familiar with the former federal immigration minister. Just 14 per cent said they have a favourable opinion of him, while 11 per cent view him unfavourably.
What Alexander’s entry could mean for Brad Bradford
The poll also suggests Bradford could face new challenges attracting voters now that Alexander has entered the race. Liaison Strategies principal David Valentin said Alexander’s presence changes the political dynamics, even if he is not yet a frontrunner.
“The ballot is not directly comparable because Alexander was not included last time, but the basic picture is that Chow remains ahead and Bradford no longer has the centre-right lane entirely to himself,” Valentin said in a news release.
Half of Torontonians approve of Chow’s performance
Meanwhile, Chow’s job approval remains relatively stable. Half of respondents approve of the job she is doing as mayor, while 43 per cent disapprove and six per cent are unsure.
Toronto split on direction of the city
The survey also paints a mixed picture of how residents feel about the city. Respondents were evenly split on whether Toronto is headed in the right direction, with 46 per cent saying the city is on the right track and an equal share saying it is headed in the wrong direction.
Regionally, Chow continues to perform strongest in Toronto’s downtown core, North York and Scarborough, while Bradford’s strongest support comes from Etobicoke, according to the poll.
The survey was conducted by Liaison Strategies between Aug. 4 and 5 using interactive voice response technology. It surveyed 1,000 Toronto residents and has a reported margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
