Katherine Clark Campaign Sees Her Opening Up A Lead

Another internal campaign poll shows state representative Carl Sciortino gaining sharply since the release of his “Tea Party Dad” video—but this one, coming from Katherine Clark’s campaign, suggests that she has opened up the first big lead of the Democratic primary campaign.

The poll, conducted September 23 to 25, shows Clark leading with 27 percent; state senator Karen Spilka of Ashland second with 18 percent; Middlesex County Sheriff Peter Koutoujian with 16 percent; Sciortino with 15 percent; and Belmont state senator Will Brownsberger with 12 percent.

Clark, who was the first to air TV ads in the race, has also boosted her name identification, and in turn her favorable/unfavorable ratings, according to the survey. She stands at 46 percent/11 percent. Spilka is 36 percent/10 percent, Koutoujian 32 percent/14 percent, Sciortino 34 percent/12 percent, and Brownsberger 28 percent/15 percent.

The primary is October 15. Clark’s lead will be tested as people in the district begin paying attention to the race—which has been overshadowed by the Boston mayoral race—and as her opponents begin to spend the money they’re raised. Koutoujian began airing his first TV ad just after this poll was taken, and others are expected to follow soon.

The pollster, Gerstein Bocian Agne Strategies of Washington, D.C., adds in a memo that Clark leads among registered Democrats and unaffiliated (independent) voters who are likely to vote in the primary.

The live-dial poll of 500 likely voters, on cell phones and landlines, has a margin of error of +/- 4.4 percent.