

Kayla Goodfield, CP24.com





A new poll suggests John Tory is in line to serve another term as mayor of Toronto with less than two weeks until election day.

About 1,000 randomly selected Toronto residents were surveyed over the phone in the Forum Research poll, which was conducted between Oct. 3 and 5. The poll found that among decided and leaning voters, 56 per cent support Tory, while 29 per cent support former chief city planner Jennifer Keesmaat.

Tory’s support has not changed since the last poll conducted on Sept. 25 and Keesmaat’s support has grown by one per cent.

Other mayoral candidates are seeing 15 per cent of support by voters, according to the poll.

“Things are not looking positive for the Keesmaat campaign right now,” president of Forum Research Lorne Bozinoff said. “Tory looks to have a double-digit lead, and, with only two weeks to go before election day, it’s a lead that may be very difficult to erase.”

“Politics is a game where few results are completely unpredictable, but at this point, a Keesmaat victory would almost certainly require a Tory collapse.”

The poll also found that Tory’s approval rating has gone up four points since the September poll, now sitting at 56 per cent. His disapproval rating is currently at 30 per cent, compared to 32 per cent in September.

“Keesmaat has not really prosecuted a case against Tory very well,” Bozinoff said. “In the old city of Toronto she’s actually almost tied with Tory. She’s really appealing to the downtowner. Her policies are sort of geared to the downtowner… not so much in the suburbs.”

“Suburbs are a real disaster for her and I don’t think she’s really connected with suburban voters.”

The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus three per cent, 19 times out of 20.

Advanced voting began on Wednesday and the municipal election will be held on Oct. 22.