Poll: Kilpatrick Trails in Detroit Mayor's Race
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Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick (search) trailed former Deputy Mayor Freman Hendrix (search) in a new poll, although the incumbent was gaining ground somewhat in a potential two-way race.
Detroit's nonpartisan mayoral primary is Aug. 2. The top two candidates face off in the Nov. 8 general election.
Kilpatrick, who was elected mayor in 2001, has been struggling with a budget deficit and questions about his personal conduct.
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Asked whom they support for mayor, 34 percent of those surveyed said Hendrix, 23 percent said Kilpatrick, 16 percent said City Councilwoman Sharon McPhail (search) and 7 percent said state Sen. Hansen Clarke (search).
The survey, conducted July 5-7 by EPIC/MRA of Lansing and published Monday in the Detroit Free Press, showed other candidates receiving a combined 9 percent. Eleven percent were undecided.
The latest survey showed Hendrix still head in a two-way race, but losing ground to Kilpatrick — with 53 percent favoring or leaning toward Hendrix, 39 percent favoring or leaning toward Kilpatrick and 8 percent undecided.
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A late-May poll showed 57 percent supporting or leaning toward Hendrix, 30 percent supporting or leaning toward Kilpatrick and 13 percent undecided.
Both polls surveyed 400 likely voters and had a margin of error of 5 percentage points.