SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Results from the latest SurveyUSA poll conducted for ABC 10News and the San Diego Union-Tribune indicate that Todd Gloria has gained momentum over Larry Turner in the race for the mayoral seat of America's Finest City as the early voting period began.
According to the poll in which 530 likely voters were interviewed between Oct. 18 and Oct. 21, Gloria is projected to defeat Turner by 16 points come election day, collecting 47% of votes from respondents. Turner had support from 31% of those polled, while 19% remained undecided.
Compared to SurveyUSA's poll from September, which had indicated a tighter race, Glorida widened his lead by 10 points as Turner's support dropped by two. The number of undecided voters fell by nine points.
That poll was conducted before two debates between the candidates, the first of which was moderated by ABC 10News.
When looking through the lens of voters who say they are somewhat conservative, Turner leads Gloria by 33 points, and he also leads by 31 points for voters who plan to cast their presidential ballot for Donald Trump this year.
Turner also leads by 13 points among Republicans and independents and four points for voters who say they are very conservative. According to SurveyUSA, Gloria has the edge in all other demographic subgroups; however, he has a single-digit lead among men, seniors and people with the lowest household incomes.
Out of the 16% of all voters who have already cast their ballots, Gloria leads 52% to 43%, the poll states.
Respondents were also asked about the City Attorney race, which is a toss-up. Assemblymember Brian Maienschein has 29% of the vote from those polled, while Chief Deputy City Attorney Heather Ferbert garnered support from 28% of respondents. SurveyUSA says 6% indicated they wouldn't vote in this contest, while 37% remain undecided.
It's important to note that incumbent Mara Elliot has a net job approval rating of +28; however, she is term-limited and can't run for the position again this election cycle.
Among those who already voted, 10% told SurveyUSA they did not vote in this contest, and 9% didn't remember which candidate they voted for.
When asked if life in San Diego has gotten better or worse over the last four years, 49% of all likely voters said it got worse, 21% reported it was better and 28% responded that it was about the same. Voters casting their ballots for Turner were more likely to say life got worse in America's Finest City, at a rate of 65%.
Respondents supporting Gloria were more evenly divided on the topic, as about a third chose each option, the poll says.
The cost of living and housing remains the top issue for respondents, as a plurality of 44% of those polled selected that choice. That's down from 52% in the last poll. Another 33% indicated homelessness is America's Finest City's number one issue. Other issues, including immigration, were in the single digits.
The 6% of respondents who picked immigration as the top issue in San Diego prefer Turner as their candidate, at a 34% clip.
You can find the full breakdown of the SurveyUSA poll here.
