Businessman Ken Sim is now leading the pack of contenders for the next mayor of Vancouver.

The standard bearer of the Non-Partisan Association (NPA) has passed Kennedy Stewart in a new survey by Research Co.

Stewart is an NDP MP representing Burnaby South. He is running as an independent, and has yet to resign as MP.

Polling results released by Research Co. on Thursday (July 19) show Sim securing the support of 26 percent of decided voters.

It’s a slim lead over Stewart’s 25 percent, and is well within the survey’s margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 percent.

Sim previously trailed Stewart based on the last survey issued by Research Co. on June 14.

In that previous survey, Stewart was on top with 26 percent. This means that in the latest survey, Stewart lost a point.

On the other hand, Sim had 23 percent in the last survey, and his 26 percent figure in the new poll represents a three-point increase.

The survey results released July 19 show Ian Campbell of Vision Vancouver coming up third with 20 percent.

Independent candidate Shauna Sylvester is fourth with 11 percent.

Former Vancouver South Conservative MP and Coalition Vancouver candidate Wai Young is fifth with eight percent.

Hector Bremner of Yes Vancouver is sixth with five percent; and David Chen of ProVancouver takes up the tail with four percent.

The same survey showed that there are less undecided voters compared the previous level of 47 percent.

According to the new survey, 35 percent of voters remain undecided.

“There are still many voters who are in the process of getting to know the contenders,” Research Co. president Mario Canseco said in a news release.