Poll Says Christine Quinn Most Familiar Mayoral Candidate

How well known are the current crop of Democratic New York City mayoral candidates? A poll conducted last week by Global Strategies Group for the Chelsea Market Coalition, which is advocating for the expansion of Manhattan's Chelsea Market, had some surprising results. According to the poll, which sampled 600 Democratic primary voters citywide, Council Speaker Christine Quinn was familiar to 70 percent of respondents, whereas former City Comptroller Bill Thompson registered a 53 percent familiarity rate, a relatively low percentage given that Thompson was the 2009 Democratic nominee. By contrast, Mayor Michael Bloomberg was familiar to 94 percent of those polled, while current City Comptroller John Liu was familiar to 59 percent. Public Advocate Bill de Blasio equaled Thompson at 53 percent and Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer came in at 38 percent. The Chelsea Market Coalition, which asked about the candidates' familiarity as a lead-in question to the likelihood of supporting the various candidates based upon their stance on the market's proposed expansion, also polled the candidates' popularity. The favorability vs. unfavorability numbers were Quinn at 50-20, Thompson 43-10, de Blasio 41-12, Liu 39-21, and Stringer 29-9. Mayor Bloomberg scored a 51-43 split.