DEMOCRAT XAVIER BECERRA and Republican Steve Hilton are holding on to the lead in the latest poll ahead of the California governor election.
That’s according to the Public Policy Institute of California, which surveyed 986 likely voters earlier this month. Nearly a quarter of those surveyed (23%) said they’d vote for Becerra, followed by Hilton at 20%, Tom Steyer at 15%, Chad Bianco at 13% and Katie Porter at 12%.
A second poll released Friday by the Institute of Governmental Studies at UC Berkeley showed a tight race with Becerra in the lead with 25% of voters supporting followed closely by Hilton with 21% favoring him and 19% of voters backing Steyer.
Some Californians are watching governor polls in part to decide how they’ll vote. The state’s open primary allows the top two vote-getters to advance to November regardless of party, and for several months Republicans Hilton and Bianco appeared to have a shot at locking Democrats out of the ballot.
Becerra, the former state attorney general and health secretary to former President Joe Biden, began to pull ahead after U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell dropped out of the race amid allegations of sexual misconduct.
Jonathan Underland, Becerra’s campaign spokesperson, said “Becerra has built real momentum — strong poll numbers backed by working Californians who are energized and ready.”
Steyer disputes the data
Steyer’s campaign in a written statement contested the PPIC survey’s findings, saying it missed recent movement toward the liberal billionaire. The campaign pointed to its own internal tracking and another poll conducted for Hilton.
Aside from the governor’s race, the PPIC survey held clues about how voters feel ahead of midterm elections that will decide which party controls Congress in the final two years of President Donald Trump’s second term. Three-quarters of likely voters said the country is headed in the wrong direction — the highest percentage in over two decades, according to PPIC.
Though it’s not surprising that the majority of the Democrats polled — 92% — agreed with this sentiment, 50% of Republicans also felt the same way. The percentage of Republicans who said the country was heading in the right direction also declined sharply — from 64% in a February PPIC poll to 49%.
A solid majority — 64% — of likely voters said they would vote for the Democratic candidate in their local U.S. House race if the midterm elections were held today. Only 35% of likely voters said they would vote for the GOP candidate.
Those numbers are warning signs for Republicans as they try to hold on to their majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.
What does Gen Z think?
Californians under age 29 make up nearly a fifth of eligible voters in the state. And just like many of us, Gen Z Californians worry about inflation, health care and housing. CalMatters spoke with some Gen Z voters to learn more about who they’re voting for and why.
Still undecided about the election? Check out CalMatters’ voter guide to help make up your mind.
This story originally appeared in CalMatters.