Anthony Williams Downplays Polling Data Showing Jim Kenny With Strong Lead In Philadelphia Mayor's Race
By Steve Tawa
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Mayoral candidate Anthony Williams maintains his campaign remains "competitive" leading up to Tuesday's Democratic primary in Philadelphia, despite polling data that shows Jim Kenney with a substantial lead.
Senator Williams downplays the strong Kenney numbers, pointing out polls only show sentiment in a snapshot of time, but he won't divulge internal numbers that the Williams campaign may have.
"The information we have makes the race competitive," he says.
Williams still thinks his campaign will do a better job getting supporters to the polls.
"We're depending on a structure that historically everybody has relied upon," Williams says, "a get out the vote process to drive up the numbers."
Some say Williams' statements about firing Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey backfired, but Williams claims Kenney previously implied that he would hire someone else. It happened at a Mayoral forum in late February, during which Kenney said Ramsey "had done a fabulous job."
"But I do think there are people who are just under him who are awesome."
Kenney's campaign says "if Ramsey's national profile didn't take him elsewhere," Kenney would "welcome" him, if elected Mayor.
A spokeswoman contends Williams is making a last-ditch effort to recover from the fall-out of attacking the popular top cop.