Christy Clark and Mike Farnworth have cemented their positions as popular favourites to lead B.C.'s main political forces, according to an Angus Reid Public Opinion poll released exclusively to CTV Wednesday.

Of those surveyed, almost two-thirds of Liberal voters (66 per cent) say they'd support Clark as the person to replace outgoing Premier Gordon Campbell. Almost half of B.C. residents, 46 per cent, say they'd endorse the CKNW talk radio host and former deputy premier.

Clark's popularity has grown 15 per cent among Liberals since declaring her intention to run as party leader earlier this month.

"There's an idea she's connecting better with the voter base," Mario Canseco of Angus Reid Public Opinion told ctvbc.ca.

Twenty-eight per cent of those polled said Kevin Falcon, who was just endorsed by Solicitor General Rich Coleman this morning, would be a "good choice" to lead. This number jumps to 45 per cent when just looking at BC Liberal voters.

Canseco said it could quickly turn into a two person race if Falcon's momentum among voters continues.

"He could pull off a surprise," he said.

George Abbott and Mike de Jong received the backing of just one in four B.C. residents and one-third of BC Liberal voters. Bringing up the rear, Dr. Moira Stillwell, the former head of nuclear medicine at St. Paul's Hospital, gets a positive review from just one in ten British Columbians.

New Democrats

While no one has officially declared their intention to replace B.C. New Democrat leader Carole James, almost half of NDP voters -- 49 per cent -- said they'd like to see Mike Farnworth take over. Two in five British Columbians agree.

Adrian Dix ranked second – or 37 per cent of NDP voters – a popularity jump of four per cent since Dec. 9.

The remaining prospective contenders, including Derrick Corrigan, Leonard Krog and John Horgan, didn't clear the 20-per-cent mark among B.C. residents or decided NDP voters.

Big promises

From lowering the voting age to raising minimum wage, BC Liberal candidates have been making some big promises in the run up to the leadership nomination in the New Year.

Results didn't see voters strongly reject any new policy, except for the idea of lowering the voter age from 18 to 16 -- the idea de Jong says he'll turn into a reality if elected the next premier. Only 27 per cent of respondents support it, while two-thirds – 66 per cent – oppose it.

Canseco said most people don't support the initiative because they don't believe it would make a difference in voter turnout.

"We're having a hard time already motivating young voters to come out, so people figure it's going to be equally hard to get those 16 to 18 years old to get out and vote," Canseco said.

The poll found that the two policy initiatives that resonate the most with British Columbians are raising the minimum wage from $8 to $10 (90 per cent) and lowering the interest rate on student loans (82 per cent). Ironically, the two most popular come from Moira Stillwell, the candidate with the least amount of public support.

Canseco believes the reason the largest chunk of respondents support these initiatives is because they would go much further in helping young people than allowing them to vote early.

"People are thinking, ‘yeah, there's some ramifications of letting this happen. Change could happen,'" he said.

When it comes to holding a provincial election before the scheduled May 2013 date, 53 per cent of voters would consent after Gordon Campbell's replacement is chosen.

"The idea of having an unelected premier for two years is something that a lot of people aren't happy with," Canseco said.

Popularity

The last two weeks of campaigning have done little to boost the popularity of either political party, the poll found.

In total, 38 per cent of decided voters would support the NDP if an election were held tomorrow, while 38 per cent would support the Liberals.

Any gains in popularity for the major two parties has come at the expense of the Green Party and BC Conservatives, who both saw small declines in support this month.

As it stands, the Green Party sits at 12 per cent, followed by the BC Conservatives with seven per cent.

Canseco said it appears many British Columbians are taking a wait-and-see approach to who they'll support to lead their province.

"Maybe it's that the candidates aren't that appealing, but there are a large group who are waiting to see what happens."

The Angus Reid Public Opinion survey polled 806 randomly selected British Columbians from Dec. 20 to 21. The margin of error is +/-3.5 per cent.