Dumping embattled leader Pierre Poilievre would not necessarily be an electoral panacea for the opposition Conservatives, a new poll suggests.

According to a new Abacus Data survey for the Star, conducted before the defection to the Liberals of one Tory MP and the surprise resignation of another, Poilievre tested better than any other potential leader, including Premier Doug Ford.

“Pierre Poilievre’s brand is polarizing, but it gives voters a clear sense of who he is. The others haven’t yet reached that level of clarity,” Abacus president David Coletto said Friday.

Abacus found that in a hypothetical ballot the Poilievre-led Tories were at 38 per cent to 36 per cent for the Liberals of Prime Minister Mark Carney.

Under every other potential leader — including Ford, former prime ministe

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