Mayor Bloomberg Gets His Mayoral Race Lead On

If you see a slight spring in Mayor Bloomberg's step, it might be due to the latest poll from Marist College which puts him, for the first time this year (we think), ahead of any Democratic candidates in a hypothetical Mayoral matchup. The Mayor had been trailing behind former Bronx Borough President Fernando Ferrer earlier this year, but it seems like the tide has turned for now, with the Mayor leading Ferrer 51% to 38%, up from Bloomberg's 42% to Ferrer's 49% last month. It's unclear what exactly caused the Mayor's bump, but it could be the Mayor's seemingly endless supply of campaign money or Ferrer's Amadou Diallo remarks, which the press has helped keep front of mind. And Manhattan Borough President C. Virginia Fields looks like she's gaining steam, with 30% of Democrats supporting her, 34% supporting Ferrer.

But the big news is about our billionaire mayor, who said about the poll numbers, "I hope the reason is that people are realizing that this city is going in the right direction." His approval rating did go up by 5 points (now at 48%), but 52% of New Yorkers less likely to vote for Mayor Bloomberg because of his West Side Stadium support. The Mayor did get a big construction union endorsement, so it'll be interesting to see how things play out. As you can see in the above picture, the Mayor has been trying to show he's an everyday guy who likes, for instance, to bowl. He didn't seem to bring his solid gold bowling bowl, though.