NORWALK, Conn. – While other Norwalk mayoral candidates are playing it close to the vest when it comes to their internal polling, Matt Miklave is trumpeting his campaign’s results as evidence that he just might win Tuesday’s primary.
According to a Wednesday afternoon press release, an internal voter ID poll conducted by Miklave’s campaign shows the Common Councilman with a four-point lead over former Norwalk Police Chief Harry Rilling with a week to go before the Sept. 10 primary. The poll also shows scant support for District D Democratic Party Chairman Vinny Mangiacopra and former Town Clerk Andy Garfunkel.
According to the release, the survey results show Miklave with 16 percent, Rilling with 12 percent and Mangiacopra and Garfunkel with 4 percent each and 38 percent undecided. Another 26 percent refused to answer.
With more than 60 percent of respondents not choosing sides, the race appears to be wide open, Miklave said.
About 300 people responded to the poll, according to Miklave campaign aide Marissa Mayer.
The telemarketing survey was conducted “over the past week or so targeting a random sample of primary voting Democrats in Norwalk,” Mayer said. “If the voter did not have a history of voting in primary elections in Norwalk, they were eliminated from our call sample. Roughly 300 voters responded.”
The poll came on the heels of a two-week direct-mail ad blitz by the campaign highlighting Miklave’s intent to reform Norwalk’s budget process and his intention to run a slate of “New Direction” Democrats against the existing party leadership, the release said.
“I think voters are tired of the same insiders dictating who runs City Hall and who runs the Norwalk Democratic Party,” Miklave said according to the release. “Yesterday’s staged joint endorsement of the Rilling Campaign by party insiders is exactly what I’m talking about. Rather than let the voters make a choice and rally around the will of the people they claim to serve, insiders try to make back-room deals. If that’s what Norwalk voters want, they can vote for Harry Rilling or Vinny Mangiacopra.”
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