One Republican candidate consistently leads among likely voters for California’s June primary, while one Democratic candidate continues to surge after Eric Swalwell’s departure from the race, two new polls released Monday, April 20, show.
Steve Hilton continues to top the candidate pool, capturing 20% of voters in a Gudelunas Strategies poll and 18% in a separate Kreate Strategies poll.
“After 16 years of one-party rule, Californians are ready for change. Lower costs. Safer streets. A government that works,” Hilton said in reference to the Gudelunas Strategies poll in a post on Instagram.
In the Gudelunas Strategies poll — which was obtained by Politico and commissioned by the anti-Tom Steyer committee California is Not For Sale — Democratic candidates Xavier Becerra and Tom Steyer are tied; each has 15% of voters.
Becerra is behind Steyer and tied with Democratic candidate Katie Porter at 10% in the Kreate Strategies poll.
Overall, however, Becerra shows substantial gain among likely voters following the aftermath of the sexual assault allegations brought against former gubernatorial candidate Swalwell.
Republican candidate Chad Bianco, who is presently Riverside County sheriff, shares an equal share of voters (14%) in each poll, while Porter polls in at 13% and 10%. Democrat Matt Mahan is close behind, with 6% and 4%.
The remaining Democratic gubernatorial candidates trail, each capturing 3% or less in the polls.
While 10% of voters consider themselves undecided in the Gudelunas Strategies poll, 23% of voters remain undecided in the Kreate Strategies poll.
“With 23% undecided and the top candidate at 18%, the race remains open with voters quickly backing other candidates,” Kevin Wen, CEO of Kreate Strategies, said in a news release.
The Gudelunas Strategies poll, which surveyed 800 likely primary voters between April 14 and April 18, had a sampling error of ±3.5 percentage points. The Kreate Strategies poll was conducted between April 12 and April 18 with a sample of 900 California voters and a margin of error of ±3.2 percentage points.
What else did Kreate Strategies poll find?
Twenty-five percent of voters identified inflation, jobs, and the cost of living as the most important issue when deciding to vote, according to the Kreate Strategies poll.
The issues of taxes and regulations (16%) and government corruption (15%) follow.
“The electorate remains anchored in affordability as the key issue,” Wen said. “Government corruption signals a brief shift toward system trust as a core factor in decision-making.”
When asked if the state is headed in the right direction, only 21% agreed.
“These conditions continue to shape how voters evaluate candidates and contribute to the lack of early consolidation,” pollsters said.
Who’s running for California governor?
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.
The top gubernatorial candidates include:
Other notable Democratic candidates include Matt Mahan, Antonio Villaraigosa, Tony Thurmond, and Betty Yee. 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
Some key dates for the June primary include:
What’s next in the race
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: Hilton leads as Becerra surges in California governor race, polls show
Reporting by Daniella Segura, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
