Smitherman's support is deep -- but is it wide?

Councilman-elect Christopher Smitherman thanks voters at the corner of Clifton and Ludlow avenues in Clifton after his victory in 2003. (Photo by Gary Landers/The Cincinnati Enquirer)

When former GOP mayoral candidate Charlie Winburn slipped the results of his Ohio Senate poll to the Enquirer, he "accidentally" included the results of a pre-primary telephone of Cincinnati voters that asked an interesting question.

Winburn's pollsters asked likely voters to identify -- without prompting them with names -- their first choice for Cincinnati City Council. Top three answers on the board:

• Christopher Smitherman
• Laketa Cole
• David C. Crowley

Even if the poll is right, those three candidates won't necessarily finish at the top of the pack. Asking voters for their top choice isn't the same as asking them for their top nine.

Still, the results are revealing because they represent two things: name recognition, and a loyal following. And it probably means that Smitherman, Cole and Crowley have distinct constituencies not being represented by anyone else on City Council.

How does Smitherman see the good news? He didn't return several phone calls from the Enquirer seeking comment last week.

Another thing: Smitherman, Cole and Crowley got 12 percent of the responses in the Winburn poll. Crowley just barely got elected in 2003 by appearing on 34.4 percent of ballots, so they still need to get support beyond their most fervent supporters.

So why did Winburn, who was running for mayor, poll on council candidates? "You weren't supposed to see that," he said. "But it's interesting, isn't it?"