"We are wondering if there is even any race here at all," says Don Levy, director of Siena Research Institute. "What we wonder is, what is the voter intensity?"
That will be one of the key questions asked when Siena conducts its only poll on the Albany mayoral during the first week of September. The results, Levy said, will be made public Sept. 9 or 10. He explained, since the institute planned to do only the one poll, they wanted to wait until the week prior to primary day, because "more people will have made up their minds."
Off-the-record claims of private polling done by the various candidates are circulating the Albany politic, but this will be the first (and maybe only) independent poll. Which is unfortunate, considering that this is the first time Jennings is facing a well-organized challenge since Jack McEneny took his shot back in 1997. We would have enjoyed an earlier snapshot of the voters opinions, at least back when the race was a contentious three-way.
Levy asked what I thought were some of the key issues shaping the electorate, and I told him. He invited me to call him back "if I had a brainstorm." So go ahead, brainstorm, and let me know: What are the issues most important to you? What will you be voting on?
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