POLL: 63% of Saskatoon residents say time for change in mayor’s office
New polling indicates unhappiness with Clark’s agenda
Saskatoon, SK — New polling conducted by 306 Media & Communications indicates that there is a significant mood for change at Saskatoon city hall and in the mayor’s office. The polling was conducted between June 6–10 and included a representative sample of 403 Saskatoon residents.
When asked “Do you think it’s time for change in government in Saskatoon — should a different leader be elected?”, 63% of Saskatoon respondents agreed with that question, while 37% said that there should not be a change in government and Charlie Clark should be re-elected in 2020. When asked if they thought the city was on the right track or the wrong track, only 28% of people said Saskatoon was on the right track, while 36% said the city was on the wrong track.
A substantial number also said that they don’t care for Mayor Clark’s agenda, with nearly 60% saying that they either somewhat oppose or strongly oppose his agenda. Amongst those who support Clark’s agenda, 34% of respondents said they somewhat support or strongly support his agenda.
“While it’s still early and there’s a long way to go before the 2020 election, these results certainly point towards one thing: many people in Saskatoon are less than happy with Mayor Charlie Clark and his agenda, and are possibly looking towards change in the mayor’s office,” said Dale Richardson, Founder and Director of 306 Media & Communications.
Rob Norris — a potential 2020 Saskatoon mayoral candidate — appears to have a strong chance to defeat the incumbent mayor if he decides to run. When asked who they would vote for if the election were held today, 54% of decided Saskatoon voters said they would vote for Norris, while 46% of decided voters said they would support Clark.
“With a considerable amount of dissatisfaction towards Charlie Clark, if Rob Norris decides to run it looks as though he could be in a very good position to defeat the incumbent mayor of Saskatoon,” said Richardson.
While Norris leads Clark in a head-to-head race, if a third candidate is added to the mix Clark takes the lead. Former mayor Don Atchison, who lost to Clark in 2016, is reportedly considering running again, and with his name added to the list Charlie Clark garnered support from 42% of decided voters, with Norris following closely at 36%, and Atchison way back in that scenario with only 22% of decided voter support. Including undecided voters, however, Clark comes in at 25% support, Norris at 22%, and Atchison at only 13%, with 40% still undecided.
“In a head-to-head race with Clark, Rob Norris appears to have a very good shot at winning in October 2020,” said Richardson. “However, if Don Atchison decides to throw his name in the ring again, Norris and Atchison split votes and Clark goes up the middle to win again.”
When asked whether or not he should run again in 2020 after being defeated in 2016, nearly two-thirds of those surveyed (63%) said that Don Atchison should not run again.
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These are the findings of a survey conducted by 306 Media & Communications from June 6–10, 2019, with a representative sample of 403 online Saskatoon residents who are members of the Angus Reid Forum.
About Angus Reid Forum surveys:The precision of Angus Reid Forum online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the poll is accurate to within +/- 4.9 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, had all residents of Saskatoon been polled. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.
About the Angus Reid Forum:
The Angus Reid Forum is Canada’s most well-known and trusted online public opinion community consisting of engaged residents across the country who answer surveys on topical issues that matter to all Canadians.
