A new poll by Harris-Decima suggests the mayor's race in Ottawa will be tight, with Larry O'Brien closing in on Jim Watson after the mayor announced he will run for re-election.
The poll, conducted for The Canadian Press, indicates Watson remains the frontrunner for the city's top job. Twenty-nine per cent of residents surveyed said they would vote for Watson, while 22 per cent said they would vote for O'Brien.
Meanwhile, Coun. Alex Cullen continues to lag behind with 10 per cent of residents giving him their support.
The survey asked residents about their vote intention, the performance of mayor and city council, as well as their impressions of candidates.
The majority of those surveyed indicated they feel the city is heading in the right direction.
However, the mayor's satisfaction rate was divided. Forty-eight per cent of people indicate some level of satisfaction with O'Brien's performance, while 46 per cent say they are dissatisfied. Meanwhile, 56 per cent of residents said they aren't happy with the performance of city council.
The poll was conducted in early July, just after O'Brien officially entered the race for mayor, and several days before Coun. Clive Doucet announced his candidacy. Residents will cast their vote on Oct. 25.
The poll sampled 501 people in Ottawa between July 2 and July 4. The margin of error is plus or minus 4.4 per cent 19 times out of 20.
