TORONTO — Toronto’s mayoral race has tightened following the first major debate, with a new Mainstreet Research poll showing Mayor Olivia Chow at 38.8 per cent support and Councillor Brad Bradford at 31.4 per cent. Former federal cabinet minister Chris Alexander stands at eight per cent, while 16.8 per cent of voters remain undecided.
Among decided and leaning voters, Chow has 46 per cent support compared with 38 per cent for Bradford, with Alexander at about 10 per cent. The survey was conducted September 14 to 17 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
Crime and public safety could play an important role in the October 26 election. About 52 per cent of respondents said the issue would be extremely or very important in deciding their vote, while 62.5 per cent believed crime had increased during the past two years.
The poll also found significant differences after voters were presented with the candidates’ public-safety messages. After hearing information about Chow’s record, respondents supported her over Bradford by 39.4 to 29.2 per cent. A separate group presented with Bradford’s crime and safety proposals supported him by 38.8 to 31.5 per cent over Chow.
Mainstreet CEO Quito Maggi described the contest as “too close to call,” pointing to the number of undecided voters and those who may still change their minds. The poll provides a snapshot of voter opinion with more than five weeks remaining before election day.