BOSTON (WHDH) - With just five days until Boston voters pick the two candidates that will face off in the mayoral election this November, our exclusive 7NEWS/ Emerson College poll numbers show one candidate way ahead.
The poll finds 30 percent of likely voters support City Councilor, Michelle Wu. She’s followed by three candidates who are polling very closely together: City Councilor Annissa Essabi George with 18 percent of the vote, City Councilor Andrea Campbell with 17 percent and Acting Mayor Kim Janey with 16 percent.
All other candidates were polled below three percent.
“Right now Essaibi George has got a slight advantage, but Andrea Campbell’s coming along very hard. And it’s hard to bet against an incumbent Mayor Janey so obviously, all eyes are going to be watching the Boston Mayoral Election on Tuesday,” said Spencer Kimball, Director of Emerson College Polling.
Kimball sees a tough road ahead for Campbell and Janey if neither can lock up Boston’s Black vote.
“Without one of those candidates dominating that vote, it’s going to be very difficult for either one to get into the run-off position,” said Kimball.
Our poll shows 14 percent of likely voters still undecided — more than enough to impact who moves on to the November election.
Right now, those undecideds do not seem to be leaning strongly enough in one candidate’s direction to make a difference.
Five percent are leaning toward front runner Wu. Essabi George and Campbell each have 3 percent of the undecideds leaning their way. Two percent of the undecideds are leaning toward Janey.
“Right now, it doesn’t look like it’s enough to push any of them over the top. However, it’s so close that any movement in voter turnout could really have a tremendous impact on who comes in second,” said Kimball.
The poll found the most important single issue for Boston voters is housing. Voters name that as their top issue over crime and COVID-19. For voters who said housing was their top issue, Wu is favored by a wide margin.
“Wu is seen as the candidate who can solve that problem and that probably suggests why she’s leading in the polls,” said Kimball.
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