The first poll in Boston’s mayoral race shows incumbent Michelle Wu in the lead, with her top rival closing.
Wu tops an Emerson College poll 43-29 with opponent Josh Kraft launching his campaign just over three weeks ago.
Her job approval rating, 41-38, isn’t the strongest. Another 21% remain neutral, the poll shows.
Kraft, son of the billionaire New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and head of Kraft Family Philanthropies, launched his campaign on Feb. 5 and struck out at Wu early on affordable housing issues and the controversial public-private development of White Stadium as a women’s pro soccer venue.
A third candidate, North End restaurateur Jorge Mendoza-Iturralde said he planned to run for mayor after clashing with the current administration this summer but has not yet announced. He was included in the Emerson poll, with 2% support.
The mayoral election will take place Nov. 4, and early voting starts in late October.
Wu, who secured an endorsement from the city’s largest police union this week, “starts strong” with 57% of voters reporting the city is headed in the right direction and holding a favorable view of the mayor, said Emerson College Polling Executive Director Spencer Kimball.
“Wu’s support is strongest among Hispanic voters, at 54%, and Asian voters, at 58%, while Kraft splits the white vote with Wu 39% to 37%,” said Kimball.
Wu has highest support among voters under 30 years old and voters over 70, the poll shows.
Kraft had 27% of voters rate him favorably, 24% unfavorably, 36% neutrally and 13% have never heard of him, the results state.
Among the top issues in Boston, the poll looks at the Trust Act — which bars local police and authorities from cooperating with ICE and federal authorities on civil immigration detainers — the redevelopment of White Stadium to house a new National Women’s Soccer League team, housing and bike lanes.
Over 50% of of voters support the Trust Act, and 31% disapprove, the poll shows, with white voters most evenly split on the issue. However, 51% of voters polled believe Boston cannot accommodate more migrants seeking sanctuary, while 49% believe it can.
Wu will testify with other leaders of sanctuary cities in front of a Congressional committee next week, as federal pressures on immigration policy intensify.
On White Stadium, 53% said they support the redevelopment, while 22% opposed it and 26% are unsure, according to the results. Wu supporters tend to favor the project, the poll shows, while Kraft backers are more split.
Asked who will make Boston housing more affordable, 38% of the polled voters said Wu and 25% said Kraft, but 31% said no one would.
Most voters reported there are too many bike lanes, 48%, or just enough, 35%. On the MBTA, 61% of voters said the embattled agency is now headed in the right direction, the results show.
However, most polled voters, 54%, reported Boston Public schools is headed in the wrong direction. BPS released the proposed budget for the next year with investments in inclusion programs, staffing and more in early February, and announced the closure of several schools in January.
The first Emerson College poll on the upcoming 2025 Boston mayoral election surveyed 617 registered voters from Feb. 24 to 26.