Meg Whitman Has Big Lead in California GOP Governor Contest

2 years ago

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Former eBay CEO Meg Whitman is running way ahead in the race for the GOP gubernatorial nomination in California, leading former Rep. Tom Campbell 34.3 percent to 12.5 percent, with Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner a distant third at 5.5 percent, according to a Capitol Weekly/Probolsky Research poll conducted Oct. 26-28. About 7 percent said they preferred someone else and 35 percent were undecided.

On the Democratic side, the poll tested only Attorney General Jerry Brown and San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, who has dropped out. Brown was ahead, as he was in other polls, 43 percent to 18 percent.

The poll asked Republican voters whether they were bothered by the fact that Whitman has not voted in more than half of the federal, state and local elections since she registered in 2002. Thirty-three percent said it made no difference to them, nearly 54 percent said it made them somewhat or much less likely to vote for her, and nearly 9 percent seemed to find some virtue in her voting record, saying they were somewhat or more likely to back her.

Nearly half of Republicans said that disclosures that Poizner gave a total of $20,000 to Democrat Al Gore in the 2000 presidential race made it much less likely they would vote for him.

As for Californians' view on legalizing marijuana and taxing its sale, something that may end up on the ballot in 2010, 51 percent oppose such a move, while 38 percent support it and 5 percent are undecided.

Filed Under: Polls, Governors, Poll Watch, 2010 Elections

Tagged: California Governor Race, CaliforniaGovernorRace, daily guidance, DailyGuidance, jerry brown, JerryBrown, marijuana, meg whitman, MegWhitman, steve poizner, StevePoizner, tom campbell, TomCampbell

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