Poll Shows Mayoral Race in a Dead Heat
According to a poll conducted by the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy and the Los Angeles Times, city mayoral candidates Wendy Greuel and Eric Garcetti are neck-and-neck for the front-runner spot in Tuesday's mayoral election.
Garcetti holds a slight lead with 27 percent of voters saying that they would vote for the current L.A. city council member. Greuel was not far behind with 25 percent of voter support in the poll.
Candidate Kevin James took the number three spot in the poll with 15 percent, followed by Jan Perry and Emanuel Pleitez with 14 and 5 percent respectively.
For 26 percent of voters, getting the city's budget under control was the foremost concern. "Job Creation" and "improving schools" rounded out the top three most important issues to voters polled.
Poles indicated that ads play a critical role in how favorable voters view each candidate.
Voters reported that the "Proven" ad from Garcetti's camp made the mayoral candidate appear more relatable to voters. The ad shows images of a business-casually dressed Garcetti addressing families in a park and outside restaurants, as he talks about his commitment to "doing the basics right."
Wendy Greuel experienced similar image-boosting through her "Every Child" ad. Greuel talks about exposing misspending as City Controller, and assures voters that as a mother with a child in the Los Angeles public school system she will be "a mayor for every school, every child." Gruel's favorability ratings jumped from 52 percent to 70 percent after voters viewed the ad.
For candidate Kevin James, the ad launched by an indepenedent commitee backing the talk radio host caused the exact opposite effect. James' ufnavorability after voters viewed the ad bolstered from 18 to 53 percent.
These numbers show an undecided voter pool, with about half of voters supporting the top two candidates reporting that their vote may still change before the election.
The election will take place Tuesday, March 5.
Go Wendy we are rooting for you....