Saskatoon’s mayoral race is already a tight one, a new poll suggests.
A Mainstreet/Postmedia poll released Wednesday finds support for sitting mayor Don Atchison and three-term city councillor Charlie Clark nearly split ahead of the Oct. 26 election. The percentage of residents throwing support behind Atchison differs by just three per cent over those supporting Clark.
“With a margin of error just shy of 3.5% Charlie Clark and Don Atchison are in a dead heat,” Mainstreet Research’s executive vice-president David Valentin said in a media release.
Twenty-nine per cent of the 803 residents surveyed stated they’d vote for Atchison if the election were held now, while 26 per cent answered they’d vote for Clark.
Former mayor Henry Dayday, who is also running for the mayoral chair, earned 15 per cent support.
“Right now it looks to be a tight two-way race but that could change if Henry Dayday is able to substantially grow his support,” Valentin said.
Atchison, who’s served as Saskatoon’s mayor for 13 years, led Clark among 18 to 34 year olds and 50 to 64 year olds, but trailed the councillor among voters over 65.
The current mayor earned 39 per cent support — to Clark’s 30 per cent — among the younger demographic and 23 per cent — to Clark’s 21 — among the 50 to 64 age group.
Clark edged Atchison by three per cent among the eldest voters, earning 22 per cent over the current mayor’s 19 per cent support.
The two tied among voters between 35 and 49, both earning 28 per cent support.
Dayday, who served as mayor from 1988 to 2000, trailed both Atchison and Clark in all four age groups. He earned his highest support among 35 to 49 year olds — with 20 per cent — but was just four per cent behind Clark in the 50 to 64 category.
The over-65 group saw the most number of undecided voters, with 44 per cent of respondents stating they were not sure who they would vote for, while just 17 per cent of those between 18 and 34 were undecided.
Dividing voters by gender showed little difference in responses — the percentage of men voting for Atchison was similar to the percentage of women voting for him, for example.
The telephone survey, which was conducted July 28 and 29 both on landlines and cellphones, carries a margin of error of plus or minus 3.46 per cent 19 times out of 20.
View the full results below:
Mainstreet - Saskatoon Summer 16 by Mainstreet on Scribd
