2 Calgary mayoral candidates lead the pack ahead of election: poll

With less than four weeks until Calgarians go to the polls to select a new city council and mayor, one poll is suggesting there are a pair of frontrunners for the person to sit in the middle of the horseshoe in council chambers.

A poll recently done by ThinkHQ showed councillors Jyoti Gondek and Jeromy Farkas would be the top two choices for Calgarians, if the municipal election were held tomorrow. (Read the full poll below.)

Farkas received 30 per cent of support from those polled online, and Gondek received 25 per cent. But 28 per cent of respondents were undecided.

Coun. Jeff Davison came in third with six per cent, Kent Hehr — who withdrew Tuesday — and Brad Field had three per cent support each, and Jan Damery had two per cent.

The online survey done between Sept. 13 and 16 had 1,109 voting-aged Calgarians participate in the panel, randomly invited from the Angus Reid Forum. A comparable probability-based random sample of the same size would have a margin of error of 2.9 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

“It took a while, but with 26 days to go, Calgary’s mayoral race has finally become ‘hotly contested’,” said ThinkHQ president Marc Henry in a statement. “For months, the race showed little movement, but there’s been plenty in the past few weeks.”

Older adults, men, and voters living outside the city’s core were more likely to say they would vote for Farkas.

Voters who said they would choose Gondek are more likely to be younger, in the inner city and the northeast, and more women would vote for her than Farkas.

But undecided voters were more likely to be women and younger.

“Farkas has the benefit of time, i.e., there’s not much left; after all, the advance polls open on Oct. 4,” Henry said. “He also has a committed voter base which typically are more ‘dependable’ in terms of turning out.”

“Gondek has the benefit of momentum, more wind in her sails and greater growth potential in her vote share,” the pollster continued. “Kent Hehr’s decision to withdraw from the race likely most directly benefits Coun. Gondek’s prospects.”

Tuesday was the final day for candidates to withdraw their candidacy. Twenty-seven would-be mayors are hoping to get Calgarian’s votes, and 111 people are running for the remaining 14 seats on council.

Calgarians cast their ballots on Oct. 18.

Calgary’s Mayor’s Race Tigh… by Adam Toy