By , Staff Reporter of the Sun | May 7, 2008
Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly is leading a new poll of potential mayoral candidates, with 23% of New Yorkers saying they would most likely vote for him next year.
Rep. Anthony Weiner, who is running for mayor, picked up 16% of the survey’s votes, while the president of Brooklyn, Marty Markowitz, collected 13%.
The speaker of the City Council, Christine Quinn, tied for fourth place with Comptroller William Thompson Jr., each pulling in 10% of the votes. Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum won 6% of the votes in the Quinnipiac University poll released today.
Some political observers say Ms. Quinn’s anticipated mayoral aspirations have taken a hit from her ties to a council budget scandal and an investigation by the U.S. attorney’s office and the Department of Investigation into the council’s finances.
In a March survey, taken before a disclosure that the council hid millions of dollars behind fictitious groups in the city’s budget to create a slush fund, Ms. Quinn won support from 13% of respondents.
Mayor Bloomberg’s approval rating dipped to 70% from 75% in March, according to the poll.
New Yorkers also indicated they don’t believe that the mayor was unaware of the fake groups in the city’s budget. Forty-six percent of respondents said he knew about the groups while 26% said they believe his statement that he did not know about them.
