Poll puts Buscher up over Langfelder by narrow margin as election looms

A Cor Strategies poll on the Springfield mayor's race puts challenger Misty Buscher up by two percentage points over incumbent Mayor Jim Langfelder with a week to go before the April 4 consolidated election.

The poll was based on a survey of 510 registered voters in Springfield conducted from March 9-12.

The poll gives Buscher, the current city treasurer, 39% and Langfelder 37% with 25% undecided.

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There is a margin of error of plus/minus 4.33%, according to Cor Strategies.

Langfelder is seeking a third term as mayor.

Cor Strategies is a center-right political company based in Inverness, Illinois. The company works on political campaigns, but it also does polling in elections statewide.

Langfelder and Buscher both said they have not employed Cor Strategies in the municipal election.

The 25% of undecided voters is "relatively normal, especially for a municipal campaign," said Michael Butler, a Cor Strategies marketing organizer based in O'Fallon who works in central and southern Illinois.

He noted both Buscher and Langfelder have been running on the records of their respective offices.

Butler said Buscher's accusation of Langfelder's so-called "pay-to-play" tactics has resonated with voters.

At a March 9 press conference, Buscher said she was "offended" that Langfelder took a $2,500 campaign contribution from Springfield attorney and past political candidate George Petrilli after Petrilli allegedly had a $42,000 debt forgiven by the city.

The fines and utility bills were racked up over Petrilli's ownership of a property in Enos Park. The story first came to light in Illinois Times.

Langfelder told The State Journal-Register that he returned Petrilli's check.

Butler said another effective point for Buscher has been her emphasis on public safety and making sure that that law enforcement has the support and resources that they need.

That has earned Buscher the support of both the police and firefighters unions.

Butler said the message Langfelder has pushed through his TV ads and campaign mailers is that he has gotten the city through difficult situations, like the COVID-19 pandemic and the Illinois budget stalemate which went from July 1, 2015, to August 31, 2017.

"Highlighting their records and accomplishments, that's what incumbents do," Butler said. "That's what's to be expected."

Buscher, reached late last week, said she is taking nothing for granted about the poll numbers.

"Anytime someone tells you you're up, clearly that's a good thing, but I am working extremely hard every single day," she said.

Voters across the state, not just in Springfield, are fed up with "pay-to-play politics," Buscher added.

"I think it's something our citizens are tired of and just want people to hold themselves accountable and be honest, which is what you should expect from any politician, in my opinion," she said. "The citizens deserve to know what's going on with their money."

Langfelder said as mayor he has "nothing to do with debt relief or (waiving debts)," particularly regarding the Petrilli situation. He said Petrilli went through "an administrative court process."

Langfelder believed the Cor Strategies poll is trying to "steer the narrative or change the narrative because what we've heard (numbers-wise) is contrary to that. We want to make sure people go out to the polls. We want as many people voting because I'm a firm believer, the more people who vote, that helps us out."

Sangamon County Clerk Don Gray said 8,786 vote-by-mail ballots have been received county-wide through mid-day Monday.

In the poll, 62% of respondents said they planned to vote on Election Day, 25% said by mail and 13% said they would vote early, in person or drop-off.

Butler said it was important for Langfelder to put up good number on early voting since Buscher is getting support from the Republican side, voters who tend to wait to vote on Election Day.

This is the first election in which voters who have enrolled in the Permanent Vote by Mail program automatically received their ballot by mail without having to submit a separate application to do so. Voters have until Thursday to enroll in Permanent Vote by Mail program if they want to vote in the April 4 election.

Early voting is also open at the clerk's temporary office is on the first floor of the former State Journal-Register building on South Ninth Street. The entrance is on Ninth Street, between Monroe Street and Capitol Avenue.

"The big question statewide, in a lot of these races, whether it's school board, city council, mayor or whatever it is, is how many of these permanent vote by mail voters are going to return their ballots," Butler said. "You have people who maybe vote in mid-terms and presidential elections, but they have historically not voted in municipal elections. They're going to be receiving ballots and are they going to send those back in or stay on their coffee tables?"

Contact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788, sspearie@sj-r.com, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.