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Dabakis has big lead in new poll on SLC mayor’s race, but ‘not sure’ is bigger

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SALT LAKE CITY — A new poll shows former state senator Jim Dabakis with a significant lead over his opponents in the mayor’s race.

But the biggest vote-getter is “not sure,” meaning it still could be anybody’s race. The poll, released by the left-leaning policy group Alliance for a Better Utah, gives Dabakis a 17-point lead over his nearest opponent, Sen. Luz Escamilla.

The poll ranks the candidates as follows:

  • Jim Dabakis 27%
  • Luz Escamilla 10%
  • Stan Penfold 8%
  • David Garbett, David Ibarra, Erin Mendenhall 6%
  • Aaron Johnson (who actually never filed to run) 2%
  • Richard Goldberger 1%
  • Rainer Huck N/A
  • Not sure 34%

The poll was conducted by Public Policy Polling earlier this week, just after the  deadline for the mayor’s race. Those surveyed were 480 likely voters in Salt Lake City. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5%.

Because some candidates were within the margin of error, Alliance for a Better Utah decided to scrap plans to only invite the top four candidates to a debate June 26. Now, the group said it would invite all eight candidates.