Toronto mayoral candidate Olivia Chow maintains large lead in latest polls
Toronto mayoral candidate Olivia Chow continues to lead the pack with less than a month until voters cast their ballot, according to two new polls released on Monday.
Among decided voters surveyed by Liaison Strategies on Friday and Saturday, 30 per cent chose Chow to be the mayor.
"Olivia Chow has grown her support this week with 30 per cent support among decided voters - but she's also grown her lead," David Valentin, principal at Liaison Strategies, said in a news release.
She is followed by Mark Saunders and Mitzie Hunter, who are tied for second with 14 per cent support. Saunders saw a three percentage point drop from last week's poll.
Valentin said time is running out for the other candidates to "claw" into Chow's lead.
"It's clear from the debates that took place last week that candidates are aiming their attacks in all directions but particularly at Olivia Chow. That should come as no surprise as there is almost no way for any of the other candidates to win without somehow lowering her level of support," he said.
In fourth place is Josh Matlow with 11 per cent of support. Behind him are Ana Bailao and Brad Bradford, who are tied with "someone else."
"Notably, this week our 'Someone Else' option gained significant traction, going from five per cent to 10 per cent among decided voters. It will take another week or two to see if this is the start of a trend or if it is statistical noise," Valentin said.
Meanwhile, 27 per cent of those surveyed have not yet picked a candidate to support.
PROMISE TRACKER: What the top candidates are pledging to do
Another poll released on Monday also has Chow in the lead. According to Forum Research, 34 per cent of decided and leaning voters support her.
In the second spot -- trailing Chow by 20 percentage points -- is Saunders with 14 per cent, followed by Matlow with 12 per cent. There is a three-way tie for fourth, with Hunter, Furey and Bailao garnering nine per cent support.
"We're now seeing five weeks of fairly consistent results among the top three candidates," said Dr. Lorne Bozinoff, president of Forum Research. "However, with a month left in the campaign, there's still time for surprises."
Housing affordability remains the top issue among those surveyed. It is followed by the cost of living and inflation; city infrastructure, services and taxes; traffic, congestion and transit; and crime and gun violence.
While election day is on June 26, voters can cast their ballot during advancing voting, which takes place from June 8 to 13.
METHODOLOGY
Liaison Strategies, which conducted the poll for the National Ethnic
Press and Media Council of Canada, surveyed a random sample of 1,305 Toronto residents from May 26 to May 27.
It used Interactive Voice Recording. Respondents were screened for voter eligibility.
The margin of error is +/- 2.71 percentage points, 19 times out of 20 for the total.
Meanwhile, Forum Research conducted an interactive voice response telephone survey of 1,007 randomly selected Toronto residents over the age of 18 on May 16.
The results based on the total sample are considered accurate +/- three per cent, 19 times out of 20.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Canada Post’s newest stamp features special cookies for Islamic holiday
Canada Post’s newest specialty stamps feature “melt-in-your-mouth” desserts to mark two Islamic festivals, the crown corporation announced Thursday.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.
A dog and a bird formed an unlikely friendship. Their separation has infuriated followers
Peggy is a stout and muscular Staffordshire bull terrier, and Molly is a magpie, an Australian bird best known for swooping on humans during breeding season, not for befriending dogs. But in an emotional video posted online, Peggy’s owners announced that the animals had been separated.
Statistics Canada reports real GDP up 0.6 per cent in January as Quebec strikes end
Canada's real gross domestic product grew 0.6 per cent in January, helped by the end of public sector strikes in Quebec in November and December, Statistics Canada said Thursday.
Ukrainian child asylum seekers in St. John’s get class of their own
Roughly 50 children will gathered in a St. John’s classroom for the first time on Saturday for unique lessons on Ukrainian language, culture and history.