There is a wide-open race in California's gubernatorial primary, with Republican Steve Hilton leading a fractured field at 17%, according to an Emerson College Polling/Inside California Politics survey released on Wednesday.
Hilton is followed by Democrat Rep. Eric Swalwell and Republican Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, who are tied at 14%. Former Democrat Rep. Katie Porter polls at 10%, and Democrat businessman Tom Steyer receives 9%. Twenty-one percent of likely voters remain undecided.
Since December, support for Hilton and Steyer has climbed five points, while Swalwell has gained two points. Porter's support dipped by one point over the same period.
"The Republican electorate in California is split between Steve Hilton (38%) and Chad Bianco (37%), while Hilton also picks up a plurality of independent voter support at 22%," said Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling.
"Democratic voters have not yet clearly coalesced around one candidate: 23% of Democrats support Eric Swalwell, 14% support Porter, 12% support Steyer, and 22% are undecided."
Other results from the survey include:
* Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom's approval rating is at 44%, while 45% disapprove of the job he is doing. This reflects a three-point decrease in Newsom's approval rating since the December poll, and a six-point increase in disapproval.
* President Donald Trump has a 62% disapproval rating among California voters, while 32% approve of the job he is doing.
* Democrat Sen. Alex Padilla has a 42% approval rating among California voters and a 32% disapproval; in comparison, 35% approve of the job Democrat Sen. Adam Schiff is doing, while 40% disapprove.
* A majority of voters (53%) say they have considered leaving California because of the cost of living in the state, while 47% have not.
* When asked what the single biggest strain on their household budget at the moment is, 28% note housing, 21% utilities, 17% groceries, and 9% healthcare. Eleven percent experience no real strain on their household budget.
* The economy is the top issue for 37% of California voters, up three points from December. Nineteen percent think housing affordability is the top issue facing the state, 16% threats to democracy, 8% immigration, 6% healthcare, and 5% crime.
* Voters were asked if they prefer the Trump or Biden administration's policies on immigration: 41% prefer Biden's policies, 38% Trump's, and 21% neither.
The survey was carried out Feb. 13-14, with a margin of error of +/- 3 percentage points. The data sets were weighted by gender, age, and education based on U.S. Census parameters and voter file data.
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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