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“It’s a very, very tight race amongst the three of them,” said Lang McGilp, research director for Insightrix. “Every vote’s really going to count. We say that often in elections, but in this one it really is going to matter.”

Moore’s numbers in the Mainstreet poll come after a tough week on the campaign trail. She was publicly criticized by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Saskatchewan and the Saskatoon District and Labour Council (SLDC) for pledging to review staffing at city hall in an effort to reduce the 2017 property tax.

She also came under fire from the North Saskatoon Business Association (NSBA), which said it was inappropriate for Moore to be endorsed by the city’s transit union, which is in the midst of contract negotiations. At the last televised mayoral forum on Thursday, both Atchison and Clark accused Moore of using scare tactics, contradicting herself and presenting an inaccurate portrayal of the city’s financial situation.

Moore has said her plans to streamline operations at city hall and find efficiencies “are not about cutting jobs,” that she has not made any promises to the transit union, that she has been consistent with her messaging and that debt at city hall is at record levels.

“I think she’s just had a terrible, terrible week,” said David Valentin, executive vice-president of Mainstreet Research.. “People saw her trying to explain away all these controversies on TV. Really, the last televised debate was more about Kelley Moore than it was about Don Atchison and that’s a big problem for her. And, of course, people saw her tense up under pressure.”