Poll: Rahm opens up big lead in Chicago runoff

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s lead over his rival in next week’s mayoral runoff, Cook County Commissioner Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, has swelled to a commanding 28-point advantage, according to a Chicago Tribune poll released this morning.

Emanuel leads Garcia 58 percent to 30 percent, according to the poll, which was conducted March 25-29 by APC Research. Nine percent of voters were undecided.


The poll represents a shift toward Emanuel over the past two weeks. In the previous Tribune/APC Research poll, conducted March 6-11, Emanuel led 51 percent to 37 percent.

The incumbent is propelled by massive margins among white voters, who back him 72 percent to 25 percent. Emanuel also leads by a nearly two-to-one margin among black voters, 53 percent to 28 percent. Garcia outpaces Emanuel among Hispanic voters, 52 percent to 36 percent.

A majority of likely voters, 52 percent, now approve of the job Emanuel is doing; just a third disapprove.

Emanuel’s ad campaign appears to have taken a toll on Garcia’s numbers. The challenger’s favorability rating fell from 40 percent earlier this month to just 31 percent in the new poll. Meanwhile, the percentage of likely voters who view him unfavorably rose, from 24 percent to 29 percent.

The poll surveyed 724 likely voters and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.7 percentage points.

The election is April 7. The two candidates will debate for the final time Tuesday night on a public television station in Chicago.

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