D.C. Council Chairman Vincent Gray would defeat Mayor Adrian Fenty in a head-to-head Democratic primary, according to poll results released Monday that show Fenty’s approval rating at 43 percent.
Asked by D.C.-based Clarus Research whether they’d like to see Fenty re-elected, only 34 percent of the 501 registered District voters offered the mayor their support, while 53 percent called for a new chief executive. Pollster Ron Faucheux, president of Clarus, deemed Fenty’s base “dangerously weak for an incumbent going into an election year.”
Fenty emerged victorious in a four-way Democratic primary race with Gray and at-large Councilmen Kwame Brown and Michael Brown, according to the poll results. But without the two Browns, Gray would lead 41 percent to 37 percent, with 22 percent undecided.
Fenty and Gray are wrestling for control of the city government. Their high-profile battles over public education, the budget and executive-branch nominees have some presuming that Gray is readying for a run. But Fenty is in full campaign mode, having already raised more than $3 million, while Gray has yet to commit.
In a statement, Fenty returned to his 2006 tag line: “Take no one and nothing for granted.”
“I am proud of the progress we’ve made since January 2007, whether it’s beginning the critical reform of our public schools, reducing violent crime citywide or bringing responsible development into our great neighborhoods,” he said. “But we cannot rest on the improvements we’ve made thus far, and I am committed to work with every resident to make the District of Columbia a world class city.”
The good news for Gray, in the poll, only goes so far. Although his 16 percent disapproval rating was markedly lower than the mayor’s 49 percent, his approval rating was only 46 percent. And 38 percent of those polled said they’d never heard of the council chairman.
“There is no greater calling than public service,” Gray said in a statement. “And I am honored to serve the city in which I was born, raised and live. I look forward to even higher ratings, no matter what elected position I hold.”
The pollster noted that most of the phone surveys were taken before a pair of recent stories about Gray: One on his council-stationary solicitation of $20,000 from Comcast for the D.C. Democratic State Committee, and another on renovations to his home performed by a company with close ties to the chairman.
The survey, with a margin of error of 4.4 percent, was performed as a public service, according to the pollster.
» Fenty is strongest in public education, keeping streets clean, and protecting against crime.
» Fenty is weakest in bringing people together, managing city government and living up to high ethical standards.
» Fenty is strongest among whites and younger voters, weakest among women, older voters and blacks.
