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Merski Poll: For Erie Mayor, Merski 37, Schember 15, Jenkins-Husband 14

City SealErie Mayor Joe Sinnott is term-limited after 12 years. The Democratic primary to replace him is crowded.

City Councilman Bob Merski commissioned and released an internal poll Wednesday showing him with a comfortable lead in the seven-person race.

The Merski campaign poll puts him at 37% among likely Democratic primary voters.  Former City Councilman Joe Schember had 15%, former City Councilwoman Rubye Jenkins-Husband had 14%, County Councilman Jay Breneman had 10%, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania instructor Lisa Austin, former police chief Steven Franklin and Erie Playhouse executive director Almitra Clerkin each had 5%.  

Internal polls should always be taken with a grain of salt.  Campaigns typically commission a comprehensive poll and publicly release only the most favorable results. They are often used to win over donors, consolidate their support early in the primary, and gain media coverage.

PoliticsPA requested a full copy of the poll results. Merski’s campaign provided some additional numbers beyond the one-page memo, but declined to release the full results.

Merski has a high name recognition, with 85%, but he is not the best-known candidate. 87% of respondents had heard of Jenkins-Husband.  Merski had a 55% favorable rating, and a 14% unfavorable rating. Jenkins-Husband had a 41% favorable rating, and 23% unfavorable.  Schember had a 33% favorable rating and 12% unfavorable.  

The poll also found that 62% of respondents think the city is headed in the wrong direction.  

DC-based Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research surveyed 400 likely Democratic primary voters from March 16th to March 21st via both landline and cell numbers. The margin of error is plus or minus 4.9%.

John Persinger and Jon Whaley are running for the Republican nomination.

12 Responses

  1. Tim: I respect your freedom of speech. You and I have irreconcilable perspectives.

  2. One more thing Rev Mock, Millions of dollars have been spent in Erie over the last 50 years for “programs” for black people. Yet they are still mired in poverty and criminality and blame whitey. They have food stamps, free medical, sect. 8 housing, TANF, all the goodies that come with being on the government dole. 80% of the Erie school kids get free meals because they are deem so poor they qualify for free food. The nanny state worries about these kids so much, that, when they are on an extended holiday break, they wonder if they will receive any food at all? Isn’t this child neglect/child abuse? Their are government funded “community” centers, and make work jobs paid for by taxpayer dollars because otherwise the men and women could not find work at a decent salary in the private sector. Again, all this is funded by the TAXPAYER and blacks have become accustomed to fleecing the taxpayer and demanding only the best freebies from the gubment. So don’t lecture me pal!

  3. Rev. Mock, You can argue with the FACTS and you know it! 60% of black “youths” never graduate Erie high schools and the ones that do read, write and do math at a 6th grade level, totally unable to compete in today’s economy.
    Furthermore, 70% of black males in Erie have a criminal record according to PA crime statistics. Now how could these “saintly children” you mention be like THAT?!
    Black neighborhoods look like third world sh*tholes in deepest, darkest Africa. They are essentially unsafe even for blacks! The black thugs and the gangbangers have destroyed any sense of safety Erie may have had at one time. It’s showdown at the OK corral with all the gun toting black criminals roaming the city in their hoopties at all hours of the day and night.

    So go to your churches and pray the demons out of them. They are possessed by the devil himself. Meanwhile face facts. It’s you blacks who are the most racist people in the country and the only reason you exist is because of hardworking white, hispanic and asian taxpayers who work their asses off so your people can sit at home all day, smoke blunts and pop out welfare babies for the state to raise! One more question reverend, where are all the baby daddies? Locked up or on the down low escaping their responsibilities! So don’t take that high and mighty tone with me, face facts and quit your whining. Blacks have turned the city of Erie into an urban hell hole and the people there are NOT culturally enriched by their presence!

  4. Tim: I thank God we do not have many people in Erie like you are as far as what your remarks suggests. Your attitude toward others.
    your stereotypes, and false news that serve as a substitute for facts about who has done what and guilty of this and that over the years is one of a number of reasons Erie is slow at reaching full economic capacity. The epitome of your insulting remarks have to do with the last decade–which placed an African American in the Office of President–is that Ruby Jenkins-Husband will receive the so-called Black Vote. Will Blacks be the only ones to vote for her? Will all Black people vote for her? You really suffer from a severe deficit disorder in your thinking that we can only pray God will deliver you from. Since we all have deficit disorders in our thinking, if you know the power of prayer, please pray for me as I pray for you.

  5. Merski is a union shill and a rubber stamp for the Clinton Democrts who think they are still relevant. Schember a little to aged, but a fine man + “Ribeye” Jenkins-Husband will garner the black vote, she could be the wildcard. Out of a dozen candidates on the Democrat primary ballot, these 3 are the most prominent + dominant. Still, there are no real standouts or leaders in the whole bunch. Current mayor of Erie, Joe Sinnot is a fine steward and has paid off millions of the city’s legacy debt but lacks any vision or real leadership. The city is now a ghost town and Harrisburg REFUSES to adequately fund the school district of the city of Erie, causing it to consider closing all of the high schools in the city! Now I ask you, “Is that right?”.
    Once the GE locomotive plant closes in the next few years and lays off the rest of it’s work force, the City of Erie will be official dead and you can pray over it’s corpse. What the city does have is a population that is made up of 11% immigrants, and 20% blacks. The blacks are responsible for 80% of the crime in the city and 95% of the murders over the last 2 decades. The number of shootings done by blacks in the city during the last 5 years has skyrocketed as the gangbanging, drug dealers sell their wares and rip each other off. Yep it’s the wild west in Erie thanks to our afro-american bro’s.
    Whoever wins will have their job cut out for them. Oh yeah, by the way, Republican congressman Mike Kelly who represent the city has done jack for the city.

  6. Not a surprise. Merski’s father was a popular four term sheriff of Erie County. I am surprised though that Breneman did not perform better in this poll. It seemed that he was the second place candidate before this poll was taken. Bob is a nice guy and has good intentions for the city, I wish him well.

  7. This is already widely known as a marketing stunt, not a poll. Cute, though. I really like how they do not mention Breneman or Clerkin. Thise are the two actual leaders in the race.

  8. Erie hasn’t had a Republican in office in a Great while. What was Erie like with a Republican Mayor. I Really like what Jon Whaley is saying and I feel he would drive Erie in the Direction it Needs to GO

  9. When speaking with others about the race in the city most say they are voting for Merski, followed by Schember, so this appears to be fairly reliable.

  10. Credible polling firm and though campaigns do not puff internals, no firm is going to blow big smoke in their release, it is their reputation. But it seems as if in a large field, the winnowing begins

  11. I don’t think this is accurate information. Personally, I don’t think he is a good candidate and most people I know are for Breneman or Schember or Clerkin. At the event at Mercyhurst the other night, he announced himself as the only politician there when clearly there were at least 2 others. Puffing yourself up is not the way to go.

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    Total Voters: 30

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