TORONTO

Olivia Chow could knock out Liberal MP Adam Vaughan if she jumps back into federal politics, according to a new poll.

A Mainstreet/Postmedia poll provided exclusively to the Toronto Sun puts the former NDP MP and failed mayoral candidate ahead of Vaughan in the new riding of Spadina-Fort York.

Around 36% of those polled on Saturday said they'd vote for Chow if she decides to carry the NDP banner in the upcoming federal election while 30% said they'd vote for Vaughan, the MP for Trinity-Spadina.

Around 17% said they were undecided, 12% said they'd vote for Benjamin Sharma-- the Conservative candidate that ran in the 2014 federal byelection in Trinity-Spadina --and 5% said they'd support Camille Labchuk--the Green Party candidate from that byelection.

Among just the decided voters, Chow is at 44%; Vaughan, 36%; Sharma, 14%; and Labchuk, 6%.

The interactive voice response poll included 606 residents who live in the riding.

Mainstreet president Quito Maggi noted lots of polls showed Chow in the lead before she jumped into the mayor's race last year.

"How that translated into actual numbers once it was a reality is very different," Maggi added. "It is an accurate snapshot, she could surely win if she did decide but then once she decides the dynamics then are completely different and these numbers could change."

Maggi said the poll shows Chow -- who placed third in the mayor's race behind John Tory and Doug Ford -- still has support in her old political stomping grounds.

"If she does decide (to run), this will be one of the top races across Canada to watch --two absolute giants politically," he said.

"It is sure to be an absolute clash of the titans."

Mayor John Tory said Monday that deciding to go back into politics is a "difficult decision" for anybody.

"It would be an epic contest in that downtown riding if she was to be there with Mr. Vaughan," Tory said. "We'll have to see how the universe unfolds."

Mainstreet says the poll has a margin of error of 3.87%, 19 times out of 20.