One week until Election Day and Democrat Public Advocate Bill de Blasio continues to hold an overwhelming 45-point lead over Republican Joe Lhota, 68-23 percent, little changed from 68-19 percent three weeks ago, according to The New York Times/Siena College Poll of likely voters released today.

De Blasio is viewed favorably by 62 percent of likely voters and unfavorably by 22 percent (from 58-19 percent October 4), with 13 percent having not heard enough about him to have an opinion. Lhota has a negative 25-46 percent favorability rating (compared to 22-36 percent October 4), with 27 percent not having an opinion.

Nearly two-thirds of voters – including big majorities of both de Blasio and Lhota supporters – say the mayoral candidate’s position on important issues was the most important factor in choosing which candidate to support. Almost nine in ten voters think de Blasio will win the race, including three-quarters of Lhota voters. Fifty-four percent say if elected, de Blasio will bring change for the better to the City and 58 percent say his policies will make public education better.

A plurality of voters, 43 percent, says the 2013 mayoral campaign has made them more hopeful the City’s future is bright compared to 25 percent saying the campaign has made them less hopeful.

“Approaching the homestretch of the campaign to choose New York’s first new mayor in 12 years, Bill de Blasio is poised to win a lopsided victory over Joe Lhota,” said Siena College pollster Steven Greenberg. “Over the last
few weeks, Lhota has picked up a few undecided voters, however, he has failed in cutting into the more than two- thirds of likely voters who continue to support de Blasio.

“De Blasio is supported by three-quarters of Manhattan and Bronx voters, and two-thirds of Brooklyn and Queens voters. He leads Lhota 55-38 among white voters, and de Blasio is backed by 90 percent of black and 76 percent of Latino voters,” Greenberg said. “While Lhota has the support of three-quarters of Republicans, de Blasio does even better among Democrats, and has a two-to-one lead among independents, in a city with six times as many Democrats as Republicans.”

Among Jewish voters, De Blasio leads Lhota 60-33.

“By an 87-5 percent margin, voters think de Blasio will be elected New York’s next mayor,” Greenberg said. “Even 81 percent of Republicans and 76 percent of Lhota voters think de Blasio is going to win.

“And if he does win, as virtually all believe, de Blasio will be inaugurated as New York’s 109th mayor, taking over a city where voters are nearly evenly divided on whether the city is headed in the right direction or off on the wrong track,” Greenberg said. “He will also face an electorate with high expectations. A majority thinks de Blasio will bring about real change for the better and strong majorities think he will both improve public education and increase the supply of affordable housing. A plurality of voters says this campaign has made them more hopeful of New York having a bright future. And New Yorkers are setting the bar pretty high for the next mayor.”

(YWN Newsdesk – NYC)