A new poll on the 2009 mayoral race produced a startling result yesterday: Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz’s enormous popularity in his home borough has propelled him to the top of the seasoned Democratic field.
“It goes against conventional wisdom,” said Marist College pollster Lee Miringoff.
The Beep grabbed 18 percent, ahead of Rep. Anthony Weiner, with 13 percent; City Council Speaker Christine Quinn; at 11; city Comptroller Bill Thompson and Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum, both at 9; and long-shot Queens City Councilman Tony Avella, at 4 percent.
Thirty-six percent were undecided.
Miringoff pronounced the 2009 contest “about as wide open as you can get.”
Markowitz told The Post that while the numbers were “flattering,” he’s still mulling whether to enter the race.
“We’ve got some wonderful, great candidates definitely running on the Democratic side of things, and I know the city will be in good hands with any of them,” he said.
Having served as a state senator for 23 years and as borough president since 2002, the 63-year-old Markowitz said he’s well aware of the enormous effort and “wear and tear” required to seek the city’s top governmental job.
“If I was in my 40s, obviously, I’d have a different perspective on it,” he added.
Doug Muzzio, a political-science professor at Baruch College who had earlier given Markowitz almost no shot, admitted he was taken by surprise his strong showing.
“He’s very well known in Brooklyn and that would explain it,” said the still-skeptical Muzzio. In fact, Markowitz captured 44 percent of the poll vote in Brooklyn, but registered in the single digits in every other borough.
Nevertheless, veteran analyst Hank Sheinkopf said, “Brooklyn is a microcosm of New York. You have to take him seriously until you look at his next filing. Can he raise the money?”
Campaign Finance Board records show Markowitz hauled in just $901,298 as of Jan. 15, compared with $4.2 million for Thompson and $3.6 million for Weiner.
Sources said Markowitz has yet to take the steps needed to mount a citywide campaign. “In Brooklyn, he’s everywhere. His schedule is insane,” said one source. “In the other boroughs, so far, he’s not there that much.”
The conventional wisdom is that Markowitz’s candidacy would hurt Weiner, since both are from the same borough.
But there’s also the chance that Markowitz would draw Caribbean-American voters, among his most loyal constituents, from Thompson.
The poll of 437 registered Democrats was conducted Feb. 18-20. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percentage points.