Quinn Leads 2013 N.Y. Mayoral Pack
By Steven Shepard // March 13, 2012 | 6:00 a.m.
New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn is putting some distance between herself and the other potential candidates to succeed Mayor Michael Bloomberg, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll released Tuesday.
Quinn is the first choice of New York City voters among seven potential candidates in the 2013 election, the poll shows. Quinn leads with a quarter of the vote, followed by Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz with 15 percent, former city Comptroller Bill Thompson at 13 percent, Public Advocate Bill de Blasio at 9 percent, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer at 7 percent, city Comptroller John Liu at 7 percent and publisher Tom Allon at 2 percent. Five percent of voters prefer another candidate, and 17 percent are undecided.
Among those voters who say they are Democrats, Quinn leads with 30 percent; Markowitz and Thompson are tied for second place, with 14 percent.
A majority of voters, 59 percent, approve of the job Quinn is doing as City Council speaker, a new high. Just 20 percent disapprove.
"Who should move into City Hall when Mayor Bloomberg moves out?" asks Quinnipiac University Polling Institute Director Mickey Carroll. "Quinn tops the list of usual suspects and has an impressive job approval."
Meanwhile, despite the indictment of his citywide campaign treasurer last month, Liu is holding his own. Forty percent of voters approve of the job he is doing as comptroller, equal to his approval rating last month, prior to the indictment. The percentage of voters who disapprove of the job he is doing has risen over the last month, from 29 percent to 37 percent, but that is roughly equal to the percentage who disapproved in December (35 percent).
Moreover, just a third of Big Apple voters think Liu should resign as a result of the scandal, while 44 percent do not. In December, 28 percent thought he should resign, and 43 percent did not.
Gracie Mansion's current tenant has seen a significant uptick in his approval rating: 54 percent of voters now approve of the job Bloomberg is doing, up from 46 percent a month ago. Just 35 percent disapprove. The poll represents Bloomberg's best job rating since last September.
"It's a good poll for Mayor Mike," said Carroll.
Bloomberg's rising approval rating could be a boon for Quinn's mayoral chances: She is widely seen as a Bloomberg ally, though the two have split on some important issues as of late, including the city's new policy for homeless shelters, over which the council sued the mayor.
The Quinnipiac University poll was conducted March 6-11, surveying 964 voters. The margin of error is plus-or-minus 3.2 percentage points.
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