A new poll out Friday morning is showing a close race for mayor in Saskatoon.
Don Atchison remains in the lead, but not by much.
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The Mainstreet Postmedia poll shows Atchison in the lead with 26 per cent of decided voters, down three percentage points from a previous poll.
The incumbent “never even thought about” where he expected his polling numbers to be at this point in the campaign.
“Polls are polls,” Atchison said. “We’re going to be out there knocking doors and we’re going to be talking to a lot of people.”
Charlie Clark is a close second with 23 per cent, down one percentage point. He called it an “exciting” race.
“It’s probably closer than what we had thought. But if you look into the details … we have a very strong base of support,” Clark said.
Kelley Moore has seen her support rise, up four percentage points to 22 per cent.
“I’m really proud to be the candidate that’s gaining the most momentum at this time. It really symbolizes that it’s time for change in Saskatoon,” Moore said.
Newcomer Devon Hein has one per cent.
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“There are opportunities and challenges for all mayoral candidates,” said David Valentin, the executive vice-president of Mainstreet Research.
“Moore stands to benefit if either Atchison or Clark’s support drops but it would be Charlie Clark who would be the primary beneficiary if Moore’s support were to falter.”
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However, the poll points out that the number of undecided voters has risen to 28 per cent.
“We’re seeing volatile numbers right now with a high undecided rate and mainly soft support for the mayoral candidates,” Valentin said.
“It’s the large pool of undecided voters who would make the difference in the election campaign. Among voters ‘certain to vote’ the number jumps to 32% undecided.”
Voters in Saskatoon head to the polls on Oct. 26.
Ryan Kessler contributed to this story
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