De Blasio Widens Already Huge Lead in Mayoral Race

Public Advocate Bill de Blasio is looking more and more like a lead-pipe lock for the mayor's office — at least if polling is to be believed.

Quinnipiac Polling Institute released the latest poll on the race for City Hall Thursday, revealing a whopping 50-point lead for de Blasio.

Republican challenger Joe Lhota mustered the support of just 21 percent of likely voters in a poll conducted Sept. 25 to Oct. 1. That number was crushed by a 71 percent for de Blasio. It also leaves just eight percent of voters undecided before the Nov. 5 election.

"These numbers say Public Advocate Bill de Blasio's kids can start arguing over who gets the best bedroom in Gracie Mansion," quipped Maurice Carroll of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. "The flurry of negative headlines about name changes, the Sandanista visit, the Cuban honeymoon don't seem to have any effect." 

Lhota's campaign dismissed the polls and took another shot at de Blasio. 

"Polls go up and polls go down. While Mr. de Blasio spends his time in hiding, ducking tough questions about his ill-conceived  proposals, we will continue talking about Joe's plans to create jobs, improve our schools and keep us safe," said Lhota campaign spokeswoman Jessica Proud. 

The poll also found that de Blasio's favorability rating is still very high 69 percent to 19 percent unfavorable, and that the majority of New Yorkers wanted the police commissioner in a new mayoral administration to come from within the department.