The House of Freedom candidate for the March 6 mayoral by-election in Shkodra, Bardh Spahija, is ahead and would win the race should the election be conducted today, according to a EuroNews Albania poll.

Spahiaj leads with 42.3% of votes of the participants in the poll, followed by the Socialist Party candidate Majlinda Angoni with 30.3%. The Democratic Party candidate Xhemal Bushati is third with 18.5% of votes.

Historically, the Democratic Party has been the general and local elections winner in the northern city Shkodër, however it looks like the Democrat base supports the faction lead by the historic party leader Sali Berisha, now part of the House of Freedom coalition with the Socialist Movement for Integration (LSI) and the Christian Democrat Party.

The poll also showed the most negatively perceived candidate is Bushati, with 51.5%.