The field in this year's mayor's race has shifted in recent months, with some candidates dropping out or switching parties, and several others jumping in, but an exclusive NY1/Marist College poll shows one candidate is now firmly out in front on the Democratic side. NY1's Bobby Cuza filed the following report.

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn isn't yet an officially declared candidate in the 2013 race for mayor. But according to the latest NY1/Marist College poll, 37 percent of registered Democrats like her for mayor, versus just 13 percent for former city comptroller William Thompson and 12 percent for public advocate Bill de Blasio.

They’re trailed by current comptroller John Liu and former Brooklyn City Councilman Sal Albanese, with 26 percent undecided.

"Right now, she’s ahead of her likely rivals by almost 3-to-1," said Lee Mirignoff, an NY1/Marist College pollster. "So she’s the only one right now of these Democratic candidates who can actually see the end zone."

Among Republicans, former MTA Chairman Joseph Lhota is out in front with 20 percent support. That number is compared to 8 percent for George McDonald, founder of the Doe Fund; 5 percent for supermarket mogul John Catsimatidis; and 4 percent for publisher Tom Allon.

Former Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion and Rev. A.R. Bernard lag behind. But 55 percent of those polled are undecided, and with the exception of Lhota, most registered Republicans have either never heard of or have no impression of any of the candidates.

"Joe Lhota seems to have the early lead over the potential rivals, but that is about as fluid a primary as you could imagine at this point," Mirignoff said.

In addition, every Democrat beats Lhota in a hypothetical head-to-head. Quinn beats him by 46 points. Even little-known Sal Albanese trounces Lhota, 52-21.

Lhota does have the support of former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, under whom he served as deputy mayor. But while helpful in a Republican primary, 46 percent of overall polled voters said a Giuliani endorsement makes them less likely to support that candidate.

The same goes for a Bloomberg endorsement. 44 percent of those polled said it would hurt. Which means that Quinn, a close Bloomberg ally, may want to keep her distance if she wants to keep these poll numbers up.