Fenty Emerges From D.C. Pack

"I think she's as good as it gets in Washington, D.C. She's got the experience," he said.

So far, the other major candidates -- retired Verizon executive Marie C. Johns, Ward 5 council member Vincent B. Orange Sr. and lobbyist Michael A. Brown -- appear to have made little impact. More than half of Democratic voters say they don't know enough about Johns and Brown to form an opinion, and 41 percent say the same of Orange.

Still, mayoral races are notoriously volatile in the District, particularly in contests with so many contenders and no incumbent. Cropp and Fenty each has raised more than $1.75 million, and both are poised to spend much of it on mailings, broadcast ads and voter drives in the campaign's final days.

Although Fenty appears to have built an impressive core of solid popular support, Cropp has won virtually every major endorsement from business, labor and the political establishment, including Williams. But the poll shows that she has yet to capitalize on those advantages: Even among those who approve of the job Williams has done, Fenty holds a slim lead.

Priorities Shift

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Although the poll presents a picture of a somewhat disgruntled public, it shows bright spots.

Some issues that were priorities when Williams took office don't worry folks as much now. Six years ago, nearly one in five voters said improving city and social services should be the mayor's top priorities. That was reduced to one in 20 voters in the current poll. Similarly, the economy was a priority for 14 percent of voters in 2002; that number today is 5 percent.

A majority of voters are happy with the city's parks and recreation services, a growing number approve of the upkeep of city streets and a onetime symbol of the city's dysfunction -- the Department of Motor Vehicles -- gets high marks.

Overall, voters say overwhelmingly that the District's economic revival has been good for the city as a whole, for the middle class, for neighborhoods, for local businesses and for people like them.

But underlying that sense of progress is a growing feeling of unease.

Although nearly three in four residents say they feel safe in their neighborhoods, they are worried about the city's ability to protect them. Although 53 percent of voters say the police department is doing a good or excellent job, that is down from 66 percent four years ago. Only one in three voters is confident in the city's response to 911 emergency calls, and 35 percent say they feel good about the District's ability to respond to a large-scale terrorist attack. That's a drop of nearly 20 percentage points since 2002.

Only 15 percent of voters are happy with the District's public schools, the lowest number ever recorded in a Post poll. People are particularly upset about shabby schoolhouses, violence and crime in the hallways, disruptive students and a lack of parental involvement. Williams has lamented his lack of authority over the schools, but eight in 10 voters believe the mayor has substantial power to improve education.

Even the bright spots have shadows. Although most voters applaud the city's redevelopment, they are increasingly worried that an influx of affluent residents, skyrocketing housing costs and rising property taxes have been harmful to many longtime residents, particularly blacks and the poor.