Boykin's poll shows him up 20 points in Cook County race

Richard Boykin, the former chief of staff to U.S. Rep. Danny Davis D-Ill., has a 20-point lead in the race for the Cook County Board’s 1st District seat, according to a poll his campaign released first to the Sun-Times’ Early&Often.

The numbers, posted below, show an incredible surge by Boykin since January and a steep drop by former Chicago Ald. Ike Carothers.

The poll also shows that despite Blake Sercye’s high-profile endorsements — including from Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Illinois Secretary Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle — he is in fourth place, behind Carothers and activist Brenda Smith. Ron Lawless is also running in the crowded March 18th primary.

In a survey of 400 likely general election voters taken by GBA Strategies Feb. 25-27 — after the Emanuel, Preckwinkle endorsement — the poll shows Boykin with 34 percent, Carothers with 15, Smith with 13 and Sercye with 10. The survey, however, shows 23 percent undecided, meaning there is some room even with less than three weeks to go.

“Boykin has spent more than a decade serving the people of the west side with Danny Davis,” said pollster Jason McGrath. “He has a record that people are responding to. There’s a lot of good options in this race, but it seems clear that Richard is the candidate that’s catching on with the voters of the first district.”