Voters in the second Suffolk district are ready to unseat state Sen. Dianne Wilkerson, according to an internal campaign poll challenger Sonia Chang-Diaz released Monday.

[img_assist|nid=173|title=Sonia Chang-Diaz (D)|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=167|height=180]According to the poll, Chang-Diaz (D) holds a commanding 17.5 percent lead among likely Democratic primary voters, 47.2 percent to 29.7 percent. Additionally, the poll found that only 25.1 percent of respondents believe Wilkerson should be re-elected, while 46.9 percent said it is time to elect someone new.

Chang-Diaz is challenging Wilkerson (D-Boston) in this year's Democratic primary for the second time in as many election cycles. In 2006, she came very close to unseating the state senator in a race in which both candidates relied solely on write in votes.

"The poll shows that the voters are making up their own minds," Deborah Shah, Chang-Diaz's campaign manager. "Some political insiders might be staying with the incumbent, as they usually do, but the voters are saying very clearly that they want new leadership - and that's Sonia Chang-Díaz."

This year's primary in the second Suffolk district has been a tough one for political analysts to call. Many say that if Chang-Diaz was able to unseat Wilkerson, she would have done it in 2006. Others note that Wilkerson's recent $10,000 agreement with Attorney General Martha Coakley (D-Medford) that accompanied an admission that she misused campaign funds could make her vulnerable again.

According to the poll, Chang-Diaz's favorability ratings are also better than Wilkerson's. Nearly 58 percent of respondents viewed Chang-Diaz favorably in the poll, while 4.5 percent viewed her unfavorably. Nearly 42 percent of respondents viewed Wilkerson favorably, compared to nearly 35 percent that view her unfavorably.

Chang-Diaz's statement said the poll was conducted between August 10 and 12 and sampled 417 likely Democratic primary voters. It had a margin of error of 4.8 percent and was conducted by Connection Strategies.

"Voters in the second Suffolk District are clearly looking for a change," Chang-Díaz said in the statement. "This poll reinforces the message I've heard from voters over and over again as I've talked to them at the doors for the past several months: it's time for new leadership."