The first poll since the Canterbury earthquake on who may be elected mayor of Christchurch has shown a dramatic swing in favour of the incumbent, Bob Parker.
The UMR Research poll shows that 55% of decided voters intend to vote for Mr Parker, while 41% will vote for Wigram MP Jim Anderton.
The previous poll in June showed Mr Anderton would get 60% of the vote - 32 points ahead of Mr Parker who was polling at 28%.
A devastating 7.1 magnitude quake hit the Canterbury region on 4 September.
Some 88% of people polled believe Mr Parker has handled the aftermath of the quake well.
The poll also indicates the mood in Christchurch has improved.
In June, 64% of those polled thought the city was heading in the right direction, and in the latest poll that figure increased to 72%.
Some 361 Christchurch residents were surveyed and the poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 5.2%.
