Although most of the party’s primary voters were still unsure, an internal poll conducted during Newark Mayor Ras Baraka’s gubernatorial campaign places the mayor second among Democratic contenders.
Of likely Democratic primary voters, 52% stated they were unsure about their choice for the June 10 primary. Out of the six contenders, Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-Montclair) had the highest percentage (15.8%), followed by Baraka (10.1%).
Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-Tenafly) received 4.7%, former Senate President Steve Sweeney received 2.7%, Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop received 5%, and Sean Spiller, president of the New Jersey Education Association, came in third with 9.6%.
The poll, which was sent out by text message on Monday, has a +/- 3% margin of error. 789 likely primary voters were surveyed by Democratic political firm MDW Communications.
The favorability ratings for Sherrill were 39% in favor and 8% against. 40%–8% for Baraka, 30%–12% for Spiller, 27%–10% for Fulop, and 22%–12% for Gottheimer. Sweeney received 17% of the vote and 26% of the vote, making him the sole contender below the cutoff.
Democrats were least likely to identify Fulop, according to the research. Forty percent of those surveyed claimed not to have heard of the mayor. About 37% of respondents claimed not to have heard of Gottheimer, 33% of Sherrill, 28% of Baraka, and 27% of Spiller or Sweeney.
According to the poll, Democrats gave junior Senator Andy Kim similar popularity ratings to those of Senator Cory Booker and Governor Phil Murphy. Booker sat at 79%-11%, Murphy at 74%-13%, and Kim at 74% approval and 6% disapproval.
The poll is the most recent in a series of polls in the campaign for governor, the majority of which indicate that Democrats are still unsure.
