New Poll Shows Upset In Presidential Race

A new poll from the University of Iceland shows one dark horse candidate gaining on the second-place runner, whose support continues to decline.

RÚV reports that the poll was conducted at the behest of Morgunblaðið, the co-editor of which is presidential hopeful Davíð Oddsson. Conducted from June 8 to 12, with about 54% responding, the results were nonetheless surprising.

According to the results, the current frontrunner remains historian Guðni Th. Jóhannesson, with 55.1%, only slightly less than he received in the same poll conducted towards the end of last month. Over the same time, support for Davíð declined, from 22% to 15.9%.

Gaining ground on Davíð is financier Halla Tómasdóttir, who went from 5% to 12.3%, taking her very close to overtaking Davíð.

Where other candidates are concerned, author Andri Snær Magnason stayed level at 11%; Sturla Jónsson went from 1.9 to 2.2%; author and poet Elísabet Jökulsdóttir went from 0.4% to 1.1%; Ástþór Magnússon went from 1.5% to 1.7%; Guðrún Margrét Pálsdóttir went from having no statistical support to 0.5%; and Hildur Þórðardóttir went from 0.4% to 0.2%.

Presidential elections will be held on June 25.