Ford was slightly ahead, with 22 percent of the vote. Foster had 21 percent of the vote.
The poll, commissioned by the St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership, found 23 percent of voters were still undecided.
Tel Opinion Research polled 400 voters. The poll has a margin of error of 3 to 3.5 percent margin, said Robert Kapusta, incoming chairman of the St. Petersburg Downtown Paternship.
Here is how the other candidates fared:
Deveron Gibbons had 11 percent of the vote, Scott Wagman had 10 percent of the vote, Larry Williams had 6 percent, Jamie Bennett had 5 percent, Ed Helm had 1 percent and John Warren had 1 percent.