A new poll conducted by Boston-based Emerson College Polling shows Boston Mayor Michelle Wu with a whopping 50-point lead over her main challenger Josh Kraft as the city’s voters head to the polls in the preliminary election on Tuesday, Sept. 9.
The survey— conducted this week using a sample size of 555 registered voters in Boston— showed Wu as the choice of 72 percent of respondents compared to Kraft at 22 percent. Just two percent of those polls were undecided, suggesting that this contest— which was once viewed as somewhat competitive in its early stages— has locked in to a huge advantage for the incumbent.
Compared to a similar poll conducted by the same polling group in February, support for Wu’s re-election has grown substantially while Kraft has lost ground. The February poll showed Wu leading 43-29.
Today’s poll was first reported on by Gin Dumcius of Massterlist.
A poll conducted by a different outfit in July showed Wu with a 30-point lead over Kraft.
In a statement, Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling said: “In February, white voters were split between Kraft and Wu, 39% to 37%; now, they break for Wu 74% to 22%. Wu’s margins among minority populations have also grown, increasing seven points among Hispanic voters, from 54% to 61%, climbing to 79% among Black voters, and jumping from 58% to 81% among Asian voters.”
For more details on this poll, go to the Emerson College Polling website.
The poll results are tough timing for the Kraft camp, which on Wednesday announced that it had parted ways with two of Kraft’s top advisors, Ellen O’Connor and Will Keyser, who were part of the candidate’s original kitchen cabinet and leadership team. Yesterday, Kraft struck a defiant note on his candidacy by pumping an additional $3.5 million of his own money into his campaign coffers to fund the general election round in November.
It’s not yet clear what effect this might have on turnout in Tuesday’s election. Voters will also be asked to pick candidates for Boston City Council in races that are far more competitive, including at-large council, which features 10 candidates competing for four seats.
Polls will be open on Tuesday,Sept. 9 from 7 a.m.- 8 p.m.
