But Whitman isn't fazed by Poizner's movement. She's already looking ahead to November. Whitman said, "We are ahead in the polls at the moment and so I think we have a very good shot at winning the republican primary and then of course we have to take on Jerry Brown."
Poizner fared much better among valley voters. The Action News Poll showed he trails Whitman here 41-31-percent. Poizner said, "This is great momentum. Campaigns are about momentum. We've got plenty of time to get the word out about me and my campaign."
Whitman added, "Obviously we are still very far ahead. He has been running two-million a week of attack ads. He's effectively abandoned positive ads. That could create some diminishment in our lead."
Both see job creation as a priority but differ on the subject of illegal immigration.
Poizner said, "As governor I'm gonna stop taxpayer-funded benefits for people who come here illegally. We can't afford it. We can't balance the budget as it is."
Whitman said, "I do not go as far as my opponent does on the issue. What children of illegal immigrants are entitled to are k-12 educational system and healthcare and I am not in the business of punishing children for the sins of their parents."
Poizner is confident he'll continue to close the gap on Whitman.
Poizner said, "Meg spent 50-million dollars before I even started. She's out-spent me 3-1 of course or even more but you can't buy the race."
On the democratic side, State Attorney General Jerry Brown enjoys 63-percent of voter support in the exclusive Action News Poll conducted by SurveyUSA.
No other candidate had more than six-percent.
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In an exclusive Action News Poll conducted by SurveyUSA, Republican candidate Meg Whitman and Democratic candidate Jerry Brown emerge as the likely matchup in the November general election.
In the Republican Primary, Whitman, the former C.E.O. of eBay, gets 49%. Steve Poizner, currently State Insurance Commissioner, gets 27%.
In the Democratic Primary, Jerry Brown, currently California's Attorney General, defeats 6 other democrats and wins with 63% of the vote; no opponent today gets more than 6%.
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If the Republican Primary for Governor were today, who would you vote for? (candidate names rotated) Bill Chambers? Douglas Hughes? Ken Miller? Larry Naritelli? Robert Newman? Steve Poizner? David Tully-Smith? Or, Meg Whitman?
2% Chambers
1% Hughes
1% Miller
2% Naritelli
2% Newman
27% Poizner
1% Tully-Smith
49% Whitman
15% Undecided
6% Aguirre
63% Brown
6% Darling
1% Greene
2% Pineda
1% Schurman
3% Symmon
18% Undecided
34% Campbell
14% DeVore
27% Fiorina
3% Kalemkarian
23% Undecided
Complete Interactive Crosstabs
Geography Surveyed: California
Data Collected: 04/19/2010 - 04/21/2010
Release Date: 04/22/2010 10:10 ET
Sponsors: KABC-TV Los Angeles, KFSN-TV Fresno, KGTV-TV San Diego, KPIX-TV San Francisco
Campbell, Fiorina Bid to be GOP Nominee To Battle Boxer in California US Senate Primary: In a Republican Primary for United States Senate in California today, 04/22/10, 18 days until voting begins, former Congressman Tom Campbell edges former CEO Carly Fiorina, 34% to 27%, according to a SurveyUSA poll conducted exclusively for KABC-TV Los Angeles, KPIX-TV San Francisco, KGTV-TV San Diego, and KFSN-TV Fresno. State assembly member Chuck DeVore gets 14% today; frequent candidate Tim Kalemkarian gets 3%; 23% are undecided. Campbell runs particularly strong among Asian-Americans, among voters over age 65, among those who rarely attend religious services, and in the Bay Area. Fiorina tops Campbell among the youngest voters and among likely primary voters who do not state a party affiliation; she holds a slight lead in the Inland Empire. Elsewhere, the race is contested; any outcome is possible. Incumbent Democrat Barbara Boxer is seeking her 4th term in an environment increasingly hostile to Democrats.
Little Drama in California Gubernatorial Primary Contests: In primaries for California Governor today, 04/22/10, Republican Meg Whitman and Democrat Jerry Brown emerge to face each other in the November general election. In the Republican Primary, Whitman, the former CEO of eBay, gets 49%. Steve Poizner, currently state Insurance Commissioner, gets 27%. Six other Republicans combined receive 9%; 15% of likely primary voters are undecided. Whitman defeats Poizner by double digits in every demographic group and in all regions of the state; Poizner has strength in California's Central Valley, but still trails there by 10 points.
In the Democratic Primary, Jerry Brown, currently California's Attorney General, defeats 6 other Democrats and wins with 63% of the vote; no opponent today gets more than 6%. 18% of likely voters in the Democratic primary are undecided. Brown served as California's 34th Governor, elected in 1974 and re-elected in 1978. Incumbent Governor Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger is term limited; the state's term limit law does not apply to terms served before 1990, allowing Brown to run for the office again.
Filtering: SurveyUSA interviewed 2,600 California adults 04/19/10 through 04/21/10. Of them, 2,193 were registered to vote. Of the registered voters, 538 were determined by SurveyUSA to be likely to vote in the 06/08/10 Republican Primary; 705 were determined to be likely to vote in the 06/08/10 Democratic primary. Early voting begins in 18 days, on 05/10/10.
