---
title: "Lawson campaign poll puts Sutcliffe at 35 per cent with 20 per cent undecided"
description: "Mainstreet Research surveyed 638 Ottawa residents between Oct. 14 and Oct. 16 for the Lawson campaign. Mark Sutcliffe led at 35 per cent, with Jeff Leiper at 25 per cent and about 20 per cent of respondents undecided."
canonical_url: "https://voche.me/on/ottawa-2026/news/lawson-poll-mainstreet-2026-10-18"
last_updated: "2026-10-19T04:26:11.327Z"
---

The Ottawa Citizen reported on Oct. 18 that the Alex Lawson campaign has released an internal poll putting Mark Sutcliffe at 35 per cent in the Ottawa mayor race, with about 20 per cent of respondents saying they have not yet decided who to vote for.

Mainstreet Research conducted the survey, asking 638 Ottawa residents between Oct. 14 and Oct. 16 how they would vote for mayor if the election were held that day. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.9 per cent, at a 95 per cent confidence level.

The poll put [Jeff Leiper](/on/ottawa-2026/candidates/jeff-leiper) in second place at 25 per cent, [Alex Lawson](/on/ottawa-2026/candidates/alex-lawson) at 11 per cent, and [Neil Saravanamuttoo](/on/ottawa-2026/candidates/neil-saravanamuttoo) at 8 per cent. [Mark Sutcliffe](/on/ottawa-2026/candidates/mark-sutcliffe) led at 35 per cent.

The poll was paid for by the Lawson campaign. Quito Maggi, the CEO of Mainstreet Research who commented on the results to the Ottawa Citizen, also served as campaign co-chair and policy adviser for Alex Lawson during the current campaign.

## What the undecided share means

With about 20 per cent of respondents still undecided, the final result could differ from what the current numbers suggest. Maggi told the Ottawa Citizen that the undecided vote and strategic voting can still affect the outcome, and that the election could be closer than other polls have implied.

A poll with a large undecided share tells voters less about the outcome than one where most respondents have made a decision. The undecided voters may split in different directions between now and voting day on Oct. 26.

## How this compares to other polls

Other polls in this race have shown Sutcliffe with a larger lead. A Nanos Research poll published by CTV Ottawa on Oct. 9 showed Sutcliffe leading among decided voters. The Sutcliffe campaign's own internal poll, conducted by Abacus Data and reported by the Ottawa Citizen on Oct. 14, put Sutcliffe at 52 per cent among decided voters.

The Mainstreet Research poll uses a different methodology: it reports all surveyed voters, including undecided ones, rather than only those who have made up their minds. That choice lowers the top figure for every candidate.

You can find a full list of published polls in this race at [/on/ottawa-2026/news](/on/ottawa-2026/news).

## Voting day is Oct. 26

Ottawa's voting day is Monday, Oct. 26, 2026. Voting places will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. If you are not sure where to vote or want to check your registration, visit the City of Ottawa's election page.

## Sitemap

See the full [sitemap](/on/ottawa-2026/sitemap.md) for all pages.