Momentum is building for Bill de Blasio since late July, when Anthony Weiner’s popularity plummeted in the wake of the new scandal. This afternoon, Mr. De Blasio extended the surge over his rivals in the final stretch of the year-long mayoral campaign.

Mr. de Blasio is now just four percentage points away from threshold to avoid a runoff, extracting 36 precent among likely Democratic primary voters, according to the Quinnipiac University poll released today. One-time Frontrunner Christine Quinn is at 21 percent with Bill Thompson at 20 percent.

The rest of the candidates were in single digits: Anthony Weiner at 8 percent; Comptroller John Liu at 6 percent and Sal Albanese at 1 percent.

More so, If de Blasio were to get into a runoff, the poll said he would win handily over any opponent.

“Talk about breaking out of the pack! Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, in fourth place just five weeks ago, is edging up on the magic 40 percent needed to avoid a Democratic primary runoff. And if there is a runoff, he clobbers Council Speaker Christine Quinn or former Comptroller and 2009 Democratic challenger William Thompson,” said Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

“De Blasio takes a big lead into the final turn. Let’s see how he does in the home stretch.”

De Blasio leads by wide margins among those who want a candidate who understands them and who has new ideas and ties Quinn among those who want a strong leader. Quinn leads among those who want a candidate with the right experience.

Thompson and de Blasio lead on enthusiasm: 36 percent of Thompson backers are “very enthusiastic” and 52 percent say they definitely will vote for him. Among de Blasio backers, 36 percent are “very enthusiastic” and 52 percent say they definitely will vote for him. For Quinn, 25 percent are “very enthusiastic” and 37 percent say they definitely will vote for her.

About the only good news for his rivals was that 31 percent of voters said there is a “good chance” they’ll change their mind in the next 13 days.

“The political cliché, that the most liberal candidate wins the Democratic primary in New York, seems to be alive and well,” said pollster Maurice Carroll.
“New ideas, like his tax-the-rich proposal, win big for de Blasio. Voters seem to be getting bored with Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Almost two thirds want a new direction by the next mayor.”

“The polling in this race has been topsy-turvy for months,” said Quinn campaign spokesman Mike Morey on the poll results. “We expect a tight race and we expect that on primary night Christine Quinn will be in a runoff, because New Yorkers want an effective progressive who can actually get things done.”

(Jacob Kornbluh – YWN)