California gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman was making significant progress in persuading undecided voters to favor her instead of Democratic challenger Jerry Brown – at least before the furor over her undocumented housekeeper exploded, according to
The Los Angeles Times. A poll conducted by University of Southern California students found that 43 percent of the previously undecided were now supporting Whitman vs. 32 percent for Brown. But the poll was conducted Sept. 20-27, ending just two days before news of the housekeeper became known.
The newspaper said it is not known how the controversy has affected Whitman’s candidacy. Whitman had employed for nine years an illegal immigrant who lied to a hiring agency that she had permission to be in the United States. Whitman had stipulated to the agency that she wanted to hire only a legal worker. Whitman fired the housekeeper more than a year ago when the former eBay CEO found out the worker’s illegal status.
The USC students conducted the poll under the supervision of faculty at the university. They surveyed 286 previously undecided voters selected randomly from a pool of 1,003 undecided voters. The poll has a margin of error of +/- 5.8 percent.
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