Former MP Andy Fillmore in lead for Halifax mayoral race: poll

With less than a month until Halifax Regional Municipality residents head to the polls, former MP Andy Fillmore appears to be in the lead among the 16 mayoral candidates, according to one poll.

The Halifax Chamber of Commerce’s municipal online poll, conducted by Narrative Research, found 29 per cent of respondents prefer Fillmore as mayor. A poll conducted last month showed 23 per cent of respondents preferred Fillmore.

Four-hundred-eighty-two people responded to this month’s poll and 493 responded to the poll in August.

These are the latest results:

• Coun. Waye Mason – 13 per cent (up from nine per cent)
• Coun. Pam Lovelace – 12 per cent (up from four cent)
• Retired Staff Sgt. Jim Hoskins – three per cent (he was not an announced candidate when the previous poll was conducted)
• Candidates Greg Frampton, Darryl Johnson, and Zoran Jokic are all at one per cent. The poll says all other candidates are below one per cent.

The poll also found 37 per cent of respondents are unsure of their preferred mayoral candidate (down from 52 per cent) while two per cent said they prefer none of the proposed candidates (down from six per cent).

According to the poll, the key issues for respondents are:

• housing options for the unhoused
• better public transit for the municipality
• improving road conditions
• reducing municipal taxes
• better downtown parking options

HRM residents will head to the polls on Oct. 19. There will be advanced in-person polling on Oct. 12 and 15. The municipality says residents should receive their voter information letters early next month.

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