Poll: Campbell leads GOP field, trails Boxer by 4

[cali]

A new poll released Thursday from the Public Policy Institute of California shows former Rep. Tom Campbell with the lead in the Senate GOP primary.

Campbell, who switched to the Senate race from the governor’s race earlier this month, holds an 11 point lead over former Hewett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, 27 percent to 16 percent. Assemblyman Chuck DeVore pulls in 8 percent, but 48 percent remain undecided ahead of the June primary.

A Field poll released last week also showed Campbell in the lead after his switch, polling ahead of Fiorina by 5 points.

In the PPIC poll, Campbell runs strongest against Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer, trailing her by only 4 points, 45 percent to 41 percent, with 14 percent undecided. Fiorina and DeVore both trail Boxer by 8 points.

The survey was conducted January 12 through January 19. For the general election, 1,223 likely voters were tested with a margin of error of 3 percent, and 425 likely Republican voters were tested with a margin of error of 5 percent.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0110/32156.html#ixzz0dvfrrD7R

[Mojambo]

1. Boxer is in big fucking trouble guys. n/t

[cali]

2. freaks me out to think that Senators like Boxer and Feingold could potentially

lose their seats.

[FBaggins]

6. Feingold has had close races before... Boxer won by 20pts last time.

If we're still talking about these seats in six months we're in big trouble.

[Johonny]

3. that's what they said last time she ran and she won.

She is apparently a better campaigner than anyone credits her for or Republicans in California run really bad senate races.

[cali]

5. this is not 2004. Her opponent will have scads of money

CA is in a very different place than it was 6 years ago.

[devilgrrl]

14. A very bankrupt place thanks to Republicans.

I hope you're wrong!

[FBaggins]

8. Were there similar polls at the time?

Was she regularly below 50% with narrow leads?

[KingFlorez]

4. Campbell won't even be the nominee

The California GOP doesn't select pro-choice candidates for statewide office and the RNC has pledged no to support moderates, the tea party will make sure DeVore is the nominee. Even if he was, Boxer wouldn't have a problem, she never polls well early on and yet she always goes on to win.

[FBaggins]

7. "The California GOP doesn't select pro-choice candidates for statewide office" ???

Really??

Seems to me they've run more than one candidate who was far from pure anti-choice.

[KingFlorez]

9. At least not in the past two cycles

The past two cycles, they have run Bill Jones and Dick Mountjoy, both being anti-choice. There have also been other anti-choice candidates on the ballot in other races, like Chuck Poochigian and Tony Strickland.

[FBaggins]

10. The last two cycles don't include "governator" ?

Or Pete Wilson?

What about Tom Campbell's race against Feinstein in 2000?

They weren't always PP's favorites... but they certainly didn't fit the right-wing mold on abortion.

In short... the republican party in california is absolutely willing to back a pro choice candidate if they think that's what it takes to win.

[KingFlorez]

11. Pete Wilson was last elected in 1994, that is far outside the past 2 cycles

And Arnold's strength was based on him being a movie star, more than Republicans supported him. When it comes to a primary like this, the GOP here draws from it's far-right in the legislature. They haven't been picking winners, only conservatives, like when they picked Bill Simon over Richard Riordan.

[FBaggins]

12. And Tom Campbell?

Also... regardless... I'd like to see why you think that 1994 was so different that today (in terms of who the right was willing to put up with). I have seen no change in their willingness to pick pro-choice candidates in hard-blue states (and more than I've seen Democrats cease to support anti-abortion candidates in solid-red states).

[KingFlorez]

13. Campbell ran in 2000, the GOP still had some moderates then

Even so, he lost badly to Feinstein, I'd hardly call that good. In case you didn't notice, The Tea Party is advocating hard conservatives in primaries and they are serious about it, they vote and don't play by party rules. The GOP has moved very far-right out here the last few years.