Bowman still leads Motkaluk 2-1 as election grows near, poll suggests
Challenger failed to gain ground vs. incumbent in September, Probe Research finds
Incumbent mayor Brian Bowman continues to enjoy a two-to-one lead over challenger Jenny Motkaluk in the Winnipeg mayoral race, a new poll suggests.
Bowman enjoys the support of 61 per cent of decided Winnipeg voters, compared to 28 per cent for Motkaluk, according to a Probe Research poll commissioned by CTV Winnipeg and the Winnipeg Free Press.
All other candidates garnered a combined 11 per cent of voter support, according to the survey of 653 Winnipeg adults, conducted between Sept. 19 and 28.
The survey, which has an error margin of 3.8 per cent, also suggests 39 per cent of Winnipeg adults either don't intend to vote or have yet to decide who will receive their vote, down from 57 per cent in August, when Probe conducted a similar poll on behalf of CBC News.
That poll also had Bowman up over Motkaluk by a two-to-one margin.
"I think this poll suggests there hasn't been a lot of movement for either candidate. Ms. Motkaluk's support hasn't moved and that big gap remains between the two candidates," said Probe researcher Mary Agnes Welch.
"Elections matter. Things do change," she added, "but that is a significant hurdle to overcome, even with three weeks left in the race."
Motkaluk said she is campaigning hard for the remaining 20 days of the election and suggested the poll was conducted over too long a time frame to be accurate.
"Even if you believe that polling method is good, which you know I call into question, it still shows there are only two choices for mayor: Brian Bowman and myself," Motkaluk said at her campaign headquarters on Ness Avenue.
"Winnipeggers can choose and they can decide for themselves whether their life is better now than it was four years ago."
Bowman also downplayed the importance of the poll.
"We're going to keep working hard to earn the confidence of Winnipeggers on Oct. 24th and that's the only poll that matters," the incumbent candidate said at the downtown Winnipeg Radisson Hotel.
Election day is Oct. 24.