California’s gubernatorial contest remains a horse race heading into the home stretch toward Election Day, with Democratic Attorney General Jerry Brown leading Republican Meg Whitman by a nose. A new Rasmussen Reports survey of 750 likely voters in the Golden state finds Brown with 47 percent of the vote and former eBay CEO Whitman neck and neck at 46 percent. The Sept. 20 statewide tally found that 4 percent prefer another candidate and 3 percent are undecided, with the closeness of the race making the quest for those wavering voters paramount.
Whitman had held a 46-42 percent edge over Brown early this month, after a small bounce from her GOP primary win.
When leaners are excluded from the totals, Attorney General Brown picks up 46 percent to Whitman’s 44 percent. Two weeks ago, Whitman edged Brown by 46 percent to 42 percent without leaners. Leaners are those who initially indicate no preference for either of the candidates but answer a follow-up question and say they are leaning towards a particular candidate. Rasmussen Reports now considers results with leaners the primary indicator of the race.
In seven surveys conducted from February through early August, Whitman, the former CEO of eBay, has earned 38 percent to 47 percent support. Brown's backing in those same surveys has ranged from 40 percent to 46 percent.
This race remains a tossup in the Rasmussen’s Election 2010 Gubernatorial Scorecard.
Just over three-fourths of the voters in both camps are sure of how they will vote in November.
Both Whitman and Brown have the backing of 80 percent of voters in their respective parties. Brown, a longtime political figure in the state who was governor from 1975 to 1983, holds a modest 46-41 percent edge among voters not affiliated with either major political party.
Democratic incumbent Barbara Boxer and her Republican challenger Carly Fiorina remain in a battle of inches in California's race for the U.S. Senate.
Almost 55 percent of California voters favor an Arizona-like immigration law in their state, which is slightly lower than the result found on the national level. Nearly 40 percent oppose such a law in California.
While 76 percent of voters who oppose passage of a similar law in California back Brown, 68 percent of those who favor such a law support Whitman.
Brown is viewed favorably by 48 percent and unfavorably by 49 percent. Those numbers include 24 percent who view Brown very favorably and 35 percent who view him very unfavorably.
Whitman’s ratings are 45 percent favorable and 50 percent unfavorable. Almost 20 percent share a very favorable opinion of Whitman, while 31 percent regard her very unfavorably.
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