An exclusive A-Channel - London Free Press poll shows former federal cabinet minister, Joe Fontana, is in danger of being voted out of politics altogether for the first time in 28 years.
The numbers are dramatic. ( Click Here For Graph )
When asked who they would vote for if an election were held today, 60 percent of respondents said they would choose Anne Marie DeCicco-Best as the next Mayor of London.
38 percent throw their support behind her closest rival, Joe Fontana.
Given a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percent, the numbers mirror those of a previous A-Channel News Poll done four weeks ago. that gave the incumbent a 20 point lead.
What has changed is the number of undecided voters. ( Click Here For Graph )
A month ago, 34 percent of respondents didn't know who they would vote for, but that number has now dropped to 25 percent.
Pollsters say unless there's a major gaffe on the part of one of the candidates, it's unlikely anything will change in the next four days leading up to the municipal election.
Many people thought the Mayor's race would be a lot closer because Joe Fontana brings years worth of municipal and federal experience to the table.
However, some voters are angry that Fontana quit the federal party, and that he no longer represents them on the national level, so that could be hurting him now.
Municipal politics expert Prof. Andrew Sancton says Fontana's campaign has also failed to hit home with voters. .
" I don't think he ever got much purchase with the platform that he put out. There were a great many things for people to digest. and I don't think people could associate a single issue with him, and I think that was a problem. Even the publicity about not living in the city was an issue.. so it was one of these things were nothing seemed to be going right.. "
Sancton also says there has been no real dissatsifaction with DeCicco-Best's leadership this past term, no one issue for which she deserves to be turfed.
" The mayor comes across as an experienced competent young woman.. and I think that's attractive. .And Mr. Fontana across as a guy who's been around the block a few times.. and who hasn't given a convincing argument about why we need to go back to somebody who's been there before."
