In a poll by the Skop Institute, voters were asked which of the two was most able to lead a government. Voters gave Reinfeldt a crushing victory, with 63.2 percent against Sahlin’s 36.8 percent.
Reinfeldt was even popular among members of the LO union, which is affiliated with the Social Democrats. Some 43 percent of LO members backed Reinfedlt as the best head of government, while 57 said Sahlin was best.
Asked who they would prefer to sit next to at a party, the two party leaders split the country down the middle. Reinfeldt had a slim advantage, with 51.2 percent choosing him, while Sahlin was on 48.8 percent.
Some 1,100 people were interviewed for the poll, which was carried out between 26th February and 15th March.