Poll Shows Sheila Dixon Is Frontrunner Of Baltimore Mayoral Candidates

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- A new Gonzalez poll takes a close look at the race to run Baltimore City and it's carrying good news for Baltimore's former mayor.

Derek Valcourt has more on why the poll results may be putting a smile on the face of Sheila Dixon.

The poll shows her as the clear front-runner with a nearly double-digit lead over her closest competitor.

"I'm not taking this and saying, `OK, now I can ease up,'" Dixon said.

Former Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon holds a solid lead over her opponents, according to a new Gonzalez poll that shows her with 27% of the total vote, putting her nine points ahead of State Senator Catherine Pugh and 13 points ahead of City Councilman Carl Stokes, with many voters still undecided.

The poll shows Dixon carrying support among African-Americans and women, two key demographics.

Dixon tells WJZ because of her past, she's not taking anything for granted.

"I know I have a cloud over me and there are people who don't trust me, but I'm going to be transparent and I'm going to do everything in my power if the voters elect me. But I'm running like I'm last," she said.

"I'm excited because my message is beginning to resonate, as you well know," Pugh said.

State Senator Catherine Pugh is making big gains, surging into the second place position. She'll spend her time until the primary talking about her record.

"Honesty, integrity and transparency and moving this city forward," Pugh said. "So the question to the voters is, do you want to go forward or do you want to go backwards?"

"A poll at this point is a name recognition poll," said Stokes.

City Councilman Carl Stokes is doing better among white voters than his opponents. He says he's reminding voters that Dixon shares some of the blame for Baltimore's problems.

"We don't give second chances to folks who did not prove so well the first time," Stokes said.

Candidates Nick Mosby, Elizabeth Embry and David Warnock all scored in the single digits in the poll, taking fourth, fifth and sixth place, respectively.

The primary election is set for April 26.