Two new California gubernatorial polls show a volatile June primary with just one week until Election Day.
An Echelon Insights survey released Friday, May 22, shows Republican Steve Hilton — the poll’s sponsor — leading the field with 25% of likely voters.
“Our lead is growing,” Hilton wrote in a post on X. “Now’s the time to come together and deliver the strongest Republican finish!”
Democrats Tom Steyer and Xavier Becerra follow, capturing 18% and 15%, respectively. Republican candidate Chad Bianco trails with 12% in the poll, conducted between May 18 and May 21.
In a separate Global Strategy Group poll sponsored by Steyer’s campaign and released the same day, Hilton leads (22%) among likely voters.
Steyer and Becerra are close behind, tied at 19%. Meanwhile, Bianco holds 12% of voters.
“With Republican candidate Chad Bianco failing to gain traction, there is now a clear three-person race between Hilton, Steyer, and Becerra for the top two spots for the November election,” pollsters said of the survey’s key findings.
Other Democratic candidates trail: Katie Porter and Matt Mahan are each polling at 8%, while Antonio Villaraigosa and Tony Thurmond each have 2% or less support.
Seven percent of voters remain undecided.
The Global Strategy Group poll, which sampled 1,050 likely voters between May 18 and May 21, had a margin of error of ±3.5 percentage points.
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.
What’s next 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.
Voting centers opened for Voter’s Choice Act counties for early in-person voting on Saturday, May 23.
Primary Election Day is Tuesday, June 2. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
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 gubernatorial polls show tight race before June primary
Reporting by Daniella Segura, USA TODAY NETWORK / Palm Springs Desert Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
