ERIE COUNTY, NY – A recent poll conducted by Mark Poloncarz’s campaign shows the Democrat positioned to win the County Executive race. The data shows Poloncarz within the margin of error just nine weeks before Election Day. In a head-to-head match-up, Poloncarz trails Collins by just 4 points, 40-44; 44-48 percent when undecided voters are asked toward which candidate they lean.
“These numbers reaffirm what I have been hearing all summer long – that the voters of Erie County want a change of leadership,” Poloncarz said. “Collins has raised taxes and cut services, while handing out hundred thousand dollar jobs to his top patronage appointees. Voters are fed up with the arrogance and bullying they’ve seen over the last four years. They want a leader who will work with others in order to move Erie County forward, not consume themselves with political gamesmanship. Come November 8, I am confident that I will be the next Erie County Executive.”
Among the positive indicators of the poll were:
- Poloncarz starts off within the poll’s margin of error and the incumbent is below 50 percent.
- Voters view Poloncarz more favorably than Collins personally and professionally.
- Among people who know both Poloncarz and Collins, Poloncarz leads 51-44 percent.
The poll was conducted by Gerstein, Bocian and Agne Strategies from August 17 to 22, 2011. The number of people polled was 500 likely voters. The margin of error was +/- 4.4 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level.