Syracuse mayoral candidate Ben Walsh is leading competitor Juanita Perez Williams by two percentage points, according to a poll released Sunday by Spectrum News/Syracuse.com/Siena College.

Walsh’s lead falls within the poll’s 4.3 percent margin of error, meaning he and Perez Williams are roughly tied with two days left in the 2017 mayoral race.

According to the poll, 36 percent of likely voters would cast their ballots for Walsh, an independent candidate. The poll found 34 percent would vote for Perez Williams, a Democrat.

The previous poll, released in mid-October, showed Perez Williams with a 7 percent lead over Walsh.

Both candidates continue to hold double-digit leads ahead of Republican Laura Lavine and Green Party candidate Howie Hawkins. Of likely voters, 7 percent would vote for Lavine and 5 percent would vote for Hawkins, according to the poll.

Joe Nicoletti, who ended his campaign in September after losing the Democratic primary to Perez Williams, would receive 6 percent of the vote, the poll shows.

Twelve percent of the poll’s 620 respondents were undecided.

Republican support for Walsh jumped about 10 percentage points since the last poll. Roughly half of likely voters who would cast ballots for Walsh are Republicans.

Two-thirds of likely voters said they view Walsh favorably, compared to about half who said the same of Perez Williams. The Democrat’s unfavorability rating among likely voters rose about 10 percent in the last month. Walsh’s rating rose 3 percent.

Respondents said the city’s two most important issues are crime and public safety and jobs and the economy.

About half of respondents said they believed Syracuse is heading in the wrong direction, while 43 percent said the city is on the “right track.”

Published on November 5, 2017 at 10:03 am

Contact Jordan: jmulle01@syr.edu | @jordanmuller18