Should we just call the election now? Probably not. But Linda Cropp walked away with a small, symbolic victory yesterday, emerging the leader of a straw poll sponsored by the Ward 6 Democrats. Cropp walked away with 42 percent of the 203 votes, trailed by Marie Johns, who took in 21 percent and Adrian Fenty who received 17 percent. Michael Brown and Vincent Orange trailed behind, with 7 and 4 percent of the votes, respectively. In DCist’s own poll posted yesterday, Fenty was leading the pack with 46.9 percent, followed by Johns with 19 percent and Cropp with 18.4 percent.

The Ward 6 straw poll says little about how the race is shaping up citywide, but may provide an indication of how Ward 6 voters may lean come the Democratic primary on September 12. And though Cropp — who has so far been considered a frontrunner alongside Fenty — walked away with the victory, Johns may have gotten the biggest boost from the results. Her campaign has shown signs of life in recent months, and many debate-goers have been surprised at her performances against more seasoned political opponents.

The straw poll complimented a mayoral forum that took place at Eastern High School on Capitol Hill last night, in which the candidates squared off against each other yet said little more than they have said at past forums. Beyond the usual issues — crime, education, economic development, affordable housing, healthcare and baseball — the candidates waffled on the issue of church parking, admitted that they had never failed to file their tax returns (an obvious reference to Ward 8 Council-member Marion Barry) and openly supported gay rights and, in some cases, gay marriage. In one of the lighter moments of the night, the candidates were asked to list the last book they had read. Cropp joked of not having enough time to read, resorting instead to audiobooks, of which she claimed ownership of 33, all on her iPod.