RepublicanSteve Hiltonhas opened up a surprise lead in the California governors race, according to a new poll.
The Fox New contributor and staunch critic of Gov. Gavin Newsom is leading the crowded field with 17% support, according to theEmerson College Polling/Inside California Politics survey.
Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell and GOP candidate Sheriff Chad Bianco are tied for second at 14%, followed by former Rep. Katie Porter at 10%. Billionaire Tom Steyer trails one point behind her.
About 21% of voters remain undecided, a 10-point decrease from the last poll in December, with Hilton gaining 5 points since then.
“The Republican electorate in California is split between Steve Hilton (38%) and Chad Bianco (37%), while Hilton also picks up a plurality of independent voter support at 22%,” said Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling.
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, the last candidate to join the race, only saw 3.4% support in the poll, putting him toward the bottom of the 12-candidate field.
“Democratic voters have not yet clearly coalesced around one candidate,” Kimball added.
The survey of 1,000 likely voters was conducted from Feb. 13 to 14 and carries a margin of error of 3 percentage points.
The last time a Republican was elected governor in the Golden State was 2006, when Arnold Schwarzenegger won re-election to a second term. Since then, critics have described the state capital Sacramento as a “one-party” political system.
The primary for the gubernatorial race is slated for June 2. The two candidates who receive the highest vote totals, regardless of party, will advance to the Nov. 5 general election to replace Newsom at the end of his term.
Source: California Post – Breaking California News, Photos & Videos
