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WASHINGTON - According to a new survey, the race for two at-large seats on the D.C. Council is tightening up.

Democrat incumbent Kwame Brown is expected to easily win re-election and take the first seat. But for the second seat, the survey shows Independent Michael Brown and Republican incumbent Carol Schwartz running neck and neck.

Long-time Democratic activist Bernard Demczuk and his students at George Washington University talked with 500 D.C. voters at local supermarkets in all eight wards. The results show Kwame Brown easily winning re-election, followed by Carol Schwartz and Michael Brown vying for the number two spot. Patrick Mara leads the rest of the pack, but does not even come close to the front runners. Ultimately, the survey shows Schwartz barely edging out Brown, but come Election Day, the survey gives him the advantage.

"Michael Brown is in a good position to win if and only if Carol Schwartz cannot direct enough voters to write her name in." For 22 years, Bernard Demczuk has been conducting his supermarket survey. His survey shows Carol Schwartz with an edge over Michael Brown. "She's very popular," said Demczuk.

Schwartz calls the news exciting and encouraging. "I'm in it to win. We hope to have a good presence on Election Day," said Schwartz.

But Demczuk is the first to point out his survey has a problem. It includes Schwartz's name, even though she's running as a write-in candidate. It's a fact, he says, most voters are not aware of. "And when they find that out, they're very anxious about Carol and helping her out."

Because he's at the top of the ballot, Demczuk says Michael Brown has the advantage. "We've been at every grocery store, every quadrant of the city, every single day," said Demczuk.

Brown dismisses Schwartz's competitive standing in the survey saying the only poll that matters is November 4th. "I mean we've seen a variety of polls. I've seen polls where I'm ahead for the first spot," said Brown.

The survey shows Patrick Mara a distant fourth in the race. Mara calls the survey unscientific and says he'd rather get the Washington Post endorsement than win a supermarket survey. "I'm excited and flattered by the Post endorsement. It's saying this guy is intelligent. He'll work for you," said Mara.

Demczuk says Mara's Post endorsement won't help because he does not have enough support from black voters. "Even if all the white voters voted for him, he still couldn't overcome with these numbers," said Demczuk.

Demczuk says his survey is scientific and he points to his previous predictions, which he claims have all been correct. Come Election Day, he says Carol Schwartz might be more popular, but this election is hers to lose. Unless she can stage volunteers at all 143 precincts with an aggressive write-in campaign, Michael Brown will likely win.

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