Strayhorn gains in Mayoral poll

AUSTIN (KXAN) - With the big vote for mayor this Saturday, Austin's top three Mayoral candidates, according to a most recent KXAN Austin News poll, are in a statistical dead heat.

Carole Keeton Strayhorn, Brewster McCracken, and Lee Leffingwell, are all within the margin of error as front-runner in a KXAN Austin News mayoral poll released Wednesday, conducted by Constitiuent Dynamics.

Lee Leffingwell garnered the most overall support with 27 percent of those polled, Carole Keeton Strayhorn is close behind at 26 percent, and Brewster McCracken came in at 25 percent.

Carole Keeton Strayhorn made the biggest stride from the previous poll, especially with younger voters. Her overall support rose by five percentage points, whereas Brewster McCracken gained one percentage point, and Lee Leffingwell stayed even.

"There's a very real chance that you end up with Lee and her in a runoff," said Peck Young, Director of Austin Community College's Center for Public Policy and Political Studies.

The poll queried 1,000 registered voters in Austin, with special screening for likely voters, with a margin of error of plus or minus three percent.

"This is really absolutely, as your pollster says, a statistical dead heat," said Young. "If the election was held today it would literally be too close to call."

Other candidates, David Buttross and Josiah Ingalls garnered three percent, down one percentage point from a previous KXAN Austin News Mayoral poll.

About 16 percent of voters are still undecided.

Election day is May 9.

Below are more graphs with results of the KXAN/Community Impact Poll.

Leffingwell 27%, McCracken 25%, Strayhorn 26%, Buttross 3%, Ingalls 3%, Undecided 16%

Here is how people answered when asked the question, "What issue most influences your vote?"

Transportation 19%, Biz recruitment and job creation 29%, Sustain growth and Keep Austin Weird 18%, Bridge economic disparity 10%, Balance budget and preserve services 24%

Here is how people answered when asked the question, "Do you support an expanded commuter rail?"

Yes 58%, No 36%, Undecided 6%

Here is how people answered when asked the questions, "Do you support city tax incentives to attract new businesses to Austin?"

Yes 35%, No 53%, Undecided 12%

Click here for the previous poll results.