Republican Mike Berryhill says the results of our Exclusive Action News Poll Conducted by SurveyUSA prove the Stanislaus County rancher has a real chance at unseating four-term Congressman Dennis Cardoza.
"My reaction to the numbers, they look fantastic! It shows we're within striking distance of taking this election," said congressional candidate Mike Berryhill (R).
The poll of 800 registered voters from the 18th Congressional District shows Berryhill trailing his democratic opponent by just six percentage points. Cardoza was not available for an interview, but his campaign consultant says recent polls they've conducted show the congressman leading by at least 10 more percentage points.
"Dennis really does not stake a lot on polls in the sense of what he does or doesn't do in an election," said Mike Lynch.
Nathan Monroe, an Assistant Professor of Political Science at U.C. Merced, says the results shake up any assumptions that Cardoza is safe. He also points out the seven percentage point advantage Berryhill has with independents reflects a larger trend of voters feeling fed up with the current administration.
"Independents are going to generally be the ones to punish the administration if they think the administration's going the wrong way," said Monroe.
The poll also shows Hispanic voters favor Cardoza by 53 percentage points, and a large Hispanic voter turnout could increase his lead. Cardoza's campaign consultant says the valley has never had a stronger advocate for securing a fair share of federal funding and that his record speaks for itself.
"He's confident that on that basis we'll do alright, and we're going to keep working to make sure we do," said Lynch.
But Berryhill says 26-years of experience on the Turlock Irrigation District Board makes him the best candidate to tackle the valley's water issues; and that he'll vote to stop irresponsible spending.
"Voters are truly fed up with what's been going on. There's been too many backroom deals and things that are not right in Congress. It's time for us to take our country back," said Berryhill.
