De Blasio has huge lead over Lhota in new poll

NEW YORK (WABC) -- Bill de Blasio has a huge lead in the polls in his bid to become the first Democrat elected mayor of New York City since 1989.

Friday's New York Times/Siena College poll shows de Blasio has 68% to Lhota's 19%.

That's nearly a 50 point advantage.

Friday morning before a group of business leaders, Bill de Blasio did not shy away from his message that taxing the city's wealthy is the centerpiece of his campaign.

"Make no mistake, when so many New Yorkers are priced out of their own city, it's not merely another problem for us to consider, it's a crisis of affordability," de Blasio said.

He even compared this crisis to the crime wave from 20 years ago that led to Rudy Giuliani becoming mayor, and to the financial crisis after 9/11 that led to Michael Bloomberg.

For de Blasio, his tale of two cities, the inequality between rich and poor, that is his campaign, highlighted in his latest TV commercial.

"We are bigger, we are stronger. We are better as a city when we make sure everyone has a shot," de Blasio's commercial said.

De Blasio's message has resonated catapulting him to a massive 50 point lead over Republican Joe Lhota, Friday's poll shows only 20% have a favorable opinion of Lhota 36% unfavorable.

And a whopping 40% say they haven't heard enough about him.

"Bill de Blasio is pro-choice, Joe Lhota is pro-choice," an ad said.

A new Lhota TV ad tries to hook Democrats by saying he's just like de Blasio but better on taxes.

Friday, Lhota tried to explain the shutdown crisis in Washington isn't helping.

"Got to get the message out. I'm being burdened by what the crazy part of the Republican Party is doing in Washington. There's a spillover effect," Lhota said.

Also, late Friday Lhota blasted de Blasio for calling himself a fiscal conservative.

"He has raised fees, taxes spending in the City of New York like a drunken sailor would. That's not by any stretch of the imagination, a fiscal conservative," Lhota said.

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new york city politics, bill de blasio, joe lhota, politics & elections, dave evans

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