Independent Voters Outnumber Republicans by 73K in California

Independent voters - aka "No Party Preference" - are now the second largest voting bloc in California, outnumbering Republicans by 73,000, The Sacramento Bee reported.

Citing data from a political research firm, the Bee reports it's the culmination of a trend that has been growing for years. The breakdown of California voters:

• 8,436,493 registered Democrats.
• 4,844,803 NPP voters.
• 4,771,984 Republicans.

"This isn't surprising," Matt Fleming, a spokesman for the California Republican Party, told the Bee in a statement. "But no party preference doesn't mean voters are becoming Democrats, and we will continue to reach out to all voters.

"The rise in NPP suggests that voters are fed up with the status quo in California, which, by any objective measure, is Democrat control of Sacramento."

California primaries will be held June 5.

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