Embattled Detroit Mayor Trails in Poll

Embattled Detroit Mayor Trails in Poll

Mon Jul 11,10:13 AM ET

DETROIT - Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick trailed former Deputy Mayor Freman Hendrix in a new poll, although the incumbent was gaining ground somewhat in a potential two-way race.

Detroit's nonpartisan mayoral primary is Aug. 2. The top two candidates face off in the Nov. 8 general election.

Kilpatrick, who was elected mayor in 2001, has been struggling with a budget deficit and questions about his personal conduct.

Asked whom they support for mayor, 34 percent of those surveyed said Hendrix, 23 percent said Kilpatrick, 16 percent said City Councilwoman Sharon McPhail and 7 percent said state Sen. Hansen Clarke.

The survey, conducted July 5-7 by EPIC/MRA of Lansing and published Monday in the Detroit Free Press, showed other candidates receiving a combined 9 percent. Eleven percent were undecided.

The latest survey showed Hendrix still head in a two-way race, but losing ground to Kilpatrick — with 53 percent favoring or leaning toward Hendrix, 39 percent favoring or leaning toward Kilpatrick and 8 percent undecided.

A late-May poll showed 57 percent supporting or leaning toward Hendrix, 30 percent supporting or leaning toward Kilpatrick and 13 percent undecided.

Both polls surveyed 400 likely voters and had a margin of error of 5 percentage points.

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Bill's Comment: I know that polls are insignificant, but I hope that it gives the citizens of Detroit a beacon of light. We shall see in November.