The first poll gauging public opinion of Ottawa's mayoral candidates suggests Jim Watson leads the pack in the race for mayor.
Fifty-three per cent of those polled for the Ottawa Sun said they believed Watson, a former Ontario cabinet minister, would make the best mayor.
Although current Ottawa Mayor Larry O'Brien hasn't indicated if he'll run or not, 31 per cent of those polled gave him their support. O'Brien is expected to announce whether he will declare his candidacy this month.
Meanwhile, Coun. Alex Cullen was given 16 per cent support.
Those polled also rated O'Brien a "poor" leader during his term in office. There are currently nine people in the race for mayor.
The poll was conducted by Leger Marketing for the Ottawa Sun. The survey polled 600 Ottawa residents and is accurate within four per cent, 19 times out of 20.
