In the Democrat versus Democrat fallout of California’s top two primary system, U.S. Senate candidate Kamala Harris leads her only competitor Rep. Loretta Sanchez by 15 percent in a post-Primary Election Field Poll.
A large number of the 956 likely voters polled, 15 percent, declared they would sit out voting in the U.S. Senate race in 2016 in light of the limited choice with which Californians are left. Twenty-two percent remained undecided between Democrats Sanchez and Harris.
Attorney General Harris leads Rep. Sanchez 39 percent to 24 percent in the Field Poll conducted over the phone from June 8 to July 2. The two are battling it out to replace retiring California Senator Barbara Boxer, who assumed officer more than 20 years ago in 1993. Boxer held a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives for ten years prior to moving to the Senate.
The results become more interesting upon consideration that with 34 candidates in the June 7 Primary election race, Harris won 40 percent of the vote to Sanchez’s 18.9 percent. Now, with only two candidates in the race, Harris has not increased her percentage of support, whereas Sanchez received approximately five percent more support in this poll than in the primary election. The results in the July poll are, however, similar to a late May Field Poll.
Still, of those polled, it appears that 37 percent did not choose either of the only two general election options. Indeed, a summary of results states that 15 percent of those polled will not cast a vote in the U.S. Senate race at all because they only have two Democrats from whom to choose.
Harris leads in this poll, more than two-to-one among white non-Hispanics, African Americans, self-identified strong liberals, middle-aged voters, and those with household incomes greater than $40,000.
leads among Latinos and those under 40 in the poll.
Conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt endorsed Sanchez on Thursday when she came on air for his radio program, according to The Sacramento Bee. Hewitt made note that he made this decision since Sanchez is not as hard left as Harris.
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