Two candidates are leading the crowded field of California gubernatorial candidates in a new poll released Tuesday, May 19, mirroring results from other surveys in recent weeks.
Republican Steve Hilton holds 22% of likely voters, while Democrat Xavier Becerra is behind by 1 percentage point at 21%, an EVITARUS poll commissioned by the California Democratic Party shows.
“LATEST POLL confirms that Steve Hilton is the ONLY change candidate who can make it into the top 2,” Hilton wrote in a post on Instagram. “Let’s unite for a strong Republican finish!”
The poll released Tuesday is the fifth in a series of polls commissioned by California Democrats.
Both Hilton and Becerra gained traction from an EVITARUS poll released two weeks earlier, with Hilton gaining 4 percentage points, and Becerra gaining 3 percentage points.
Democrat Tom Steyer follows with 15% of likely voters, up 3 percentage points from two weeks earlier. Republican Chad Bianco is polling at 10%, down 4 percentage points from the previous tracking poll, marking his first dip in the series of polls.
Other Democratic candidates are polling similarly to previous polls. Katie Porter holds 7% of likely voters, while Matt Mahan captures 4%, a slight drop for both candidates. Antonio Villaraigosa and Tony Thurmond trail at 1%.
Thirteen percent of voters remain undecided.
The EVITARUS poll was conducted between May 14 and May 16 with a sample of 1,200 likely California voters and a margin of error of ±2.83 percentage points.
The final tracking poll before primary
In California, there is a top-two primary system in which all candidates are listed on the same ballot. The top two vote-getters move on to the general election, regardless of their party affiliation, meaning there is the potential for two candidates from the same party to face off in the general election.
As worries about the Democratic Party being locked out of November’s general election mounted, party leaders commissioned a series of polls meant to assess the viability of the wide field of gubernatorial candidates.
When the first EVITARUS poll was released March 24, it showed Republicans Hilton and Bianco leading, with a cluster of Democrats trailing. Rusty Hicks, chair of the California Democratic Party, said the results were a “clear reminder of an undeniable fact – all candidates must honestly assess their viable path to win.”
“I continue to call for them to so do,” Hicks said in a news release. “Simply put, it’s the best way to ensure we elect a Democrat as our next Governor and that California continues its strong leadership at home and abroad.”
The pair of Republican candidates led in two additional polls. After Democrat Eric Swalwell departed from the race amid sexual assault allegations, however, Becerra began to surge in subsequent EVITARUS polls, eventually surprising Bianco and gaining seven times the voter support from the initial survey in March.
During a Tuesday, May 19 news conference, Hicks said the latest EVITARUS tracking poll would be the final survey released before the June primary.
“With two weeks ago, the race is far from over, especially given the many twists and turns that we have already seen,” Hicks said at a Tuesday, May 19 news conference. “There are still 60 plus candidates on the ballot. There are still two primary Republicans and six primary Democrats. Yet, we are clearly in a different place today than we were two months ago. Some candidates are surging and consolidating, others are following behind.”
Who’s running for California governor?
The top gubernatorial candidates include:
Other notable Democratic candidates include Matt Mahan, Antonio Villaraigosa, and Tony Thurmond. An additional 51 candidates are also running for governor. A list of candidates and their titles can be found here.
Key dates for June primary
County election officials had a deadline of Monday, May 4, to mail vote-by-mail ballots to registered voters. Ballot drop-off locations opened the following day.
Though the deadline to register to vote in the June primary has passed, Californians can still opt for same-day voter registration, also known as conditional voter registration.
Here are some key upcoming dates for the June primary:
When is the governor’s race?
Voters will choose the Golden State’s next governor during California’s general election on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: California governor poll shows Hilton, Becerra leading field
Reporting by Daniella Segura, USA TODAY NETWORK / Palm Springs Desert Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
