Poll: Voters virtually split on mayor

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Austin voters are split three ways on who they want to support for mayor, with only single-digit percentage points separating the top three candidates, according to a KXAN-sponsored poll released late Tuesday.

And with the May 9 election just over two weeks away, nearly a quarter of local voters are still undecided.

City Councilman Lee Leffingwell edges ahead with 27 percent of support. He is followed closely by Mayor Pro-Tem Brewster McCracken at 24 percent. Former mayor Carole Keeton Strayhorn has 21 percent.

A full 22 percent are still undecided.

And candidates David Buttross and Josiah Ingalls have 4 percent and 2 percent, respectively.

Strayhorn polls lowest among male voters, but highest - with a slight edge - among young voters. Leffingwell is favored among older voters. Women are split on all three candidates.

Leffingwell polls lowest with black voters; McCracken is weakest among Hispanics.

For more detailed results, see the charts below.

For the poll, KXAN Austin News commissioned Seattle-based polling company Constituent Dynamics. The survey took place on April 19 to 20 with 1,001 telephone respondents, who were registered Austin voters. There is a margin of error of 3 percent.

Tune in, also, to the live mayoral debate at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. You can participate online by chatting live with us during the debate. Submit your proposed questions to debate@kxan.com.

KXAN Austin News is partnering with the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs' Center for Politics and Governance (CPG) and the LBJ School student organization CLASS to provide the only major broadcast, multi-platform Austin Mayoral debate.

Below are the full poll results in chart form.

When answering the question, if the mayoral vote were today, how would you vote, people answered:

When asked: What issue most influences your vote, people answered:

When asked: Do you support an expanded commuter rail, people responded:

When asked: Do you support city tax incentives to attract new businesses to Austin, people answered: