BOSTON (WHDH) - With only a few days to go until Boston voters make their choice for mayor – Michelle Wu is way out front.
Our exclusive 7NEWS/Emerson College Poll of likely voters shows City Councilor Wu with a commanding lead over fellow City Councilor Anissa Essaibi George. Wu is getting 61 percent and Essaibi George is getting 31 percent with 8 percent undecided.
“It’s a considerable lead. It looks like Michelle Wu is in a very strong position to become the next mayor of Boston,” said Spencer Kimball, Emerson Polling Director.
Why the big lead? Our poll shows Wu has been able to win over many of the voters who chose acting Mayor Kim Janey and City Councilor Andrea Campbell in the preliminary election.
With their candidate eliminated, Janey voters favor Wu over Essaibi George 86 percent to 7 percent.
Cambell voters favor Wu 75 percent to 15 percent.
“Wu is doing very well with the Black vote. And if she is able to win Tuesday night, I would give a lot of credit to being able to create that coalition very quickly after the primary,” said Kimball.
Essaibi George is seen as the more traditional candidate. Wu, the more progressive one.
But surprisingly, voters who say Boston is already headed in the right direction favor Wu 82 percent to 14 percent over Essaibi George.
Voters who say the city is headed in the wrong direction support Essaibi George 65 to 22.
“The Wu side is trying to accentuate the positive while the Essaibi George side is trying to accentuate the negative,” said Kimball “And because of that, I think the Wu campaign is in a better position.”
What does Wu need to do to turn her lead in this poll into an election night victory?
“What Wu needs to be able to do is to keep her coalition together. Really get out into the Black community and get out that vote. Without a Black candidate sometimes that vote doesn’t come to the polls,” said Kimball.
And how can Essaibi George pull off a win?
“She’s got a base of support of people without a college degree. So she needs to get that vote out on a high propensity. On the flip side she needs to depress the Wu vote potentially because some of these polls showing Wu very high maybe her voters won’t come out on election day,” said Kimball.
Even with new opportunities to vote early, nearly three out of four voters told us they will cast their vote -on- election day. That’s proof of how important it will be for both sides to get their voters to the polls on Tuesday.
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