Bigger bombshell: former auditor general leads mayoral race

“I've seen a bunch of different polls,” an elated Bigger said. “I saw an earlier one where me and John were tied, so it's definitely separating out.”

In the last week or so, he said other candidates have been zeroing in on him more and more, a sign they know he's the man to beat. Considering he only decided to run in the summer, Bigger said it has been a hectic – but exciting – time getting his campaign organized.

“You have to realize that this started, literally, Aug. 11. Many of the other candidates have been running for the last four years. So I think our strategy has been pretty good, releasing our platform one section at a time. And a lot of it will become more formalized as we get into the mayoral debates.”

Bigger led Melanson – the businessman and former head of the Greater Sudbury Taxpayer's Association – by a wide margin in support among women (37.2 per cent to 19.7 per cent), and among voters in former municipalities outside Sudbury.

“That really puts me on the spot,” he laughed, when asked about his popularity with female voters.

But he said his support outside the city reflects a larger mood across the area – resentment about not being listened to since they were forced into amalgamation 13 years ago.

"I've spent a fair bit of time (in the communities outside of Sudbury) – and actually listening to what they are saying,” he said. “They got the short end of the stick here, with amalgamation ... I recognize that, and I think everybody's heard that since 2001.”

The poll won't change his campaign, he said, and he'll keep rolling out his platform gradually. He has an announcement planned Wednesday, and is inviting all city ward candidates to a $20-per-person fundraiser Thursday night at 9 p.m. at the Ambassador Hotel.

Melanson said his campaign has done extensive polling – including 1,000 calls from his campaign office, and about 70,000 robocalls -- and his results show a much closer race.

“We're actually higher than this poll says we were,” he said Sunday. “And if you look at the provincial election, the polls said one thing, but the result was totally different. So who knows how the final numbers are going to fall out.”

As the campaign progresses to debates, Melanson said people will have a chance to really look at who has a platform for change and who doesn't. In particular, the large undecided vote will be paying close attention to what the candidates are saying.

"We continue to do what we're doing, which is put a full platform out there that addresses all of the issues,” he said, “as opposed to pointing fingers and jumping up and down and saying, 'Here's the problem! Here's the problem! Without saying what your solutions are.”

Rodriguez was more blunt, saying flatly he doesn't believe the poll numbers.

“Where is Bigger's support?” he said. “I just don't see it out there, and I've been doing this for a long time. And usually you can tell – there are signs on private property, not just public. I don't believe that poll. I think it's wrong.”

Rodriguez, who was mayor from 2006-2010, said Bigger seems to be running solely on his reputation as auditor general.

“But you need vision to be a mayor, not just bean counting. It may be that he's wearing his auditor general's cloak to great effect, but it takes more than that.”

The main thing he has promised – to freeze taxes in his first year – is the same policy the city had in the 1990s, which contributed to the $700-million infrastructure deficit the city is still trying to deal with.

“Look at the state of city streets – we're paying for that now,” he said, before adding, “there's only one poll you can trust, only one that counts -- and that's on election day.”

For his part, Dupuis said his campaign research says undecided voters are even higher – at 40 per cent. And with weeks to go before the Oct. 27 vote, there's still plenty of time.

“This campaign is just starting,” he said. “But I know we have a lot of work to do.”