Field Poll: California Democrats Sour on Hillary Clinton

On Wednesday, a new Field Poll revealed support for Hillary Clinton in California has plunged since May.

In May, 66% of likely Democratic voters in the June 2016 presidential primary supported Clinton; the latest poll shows that number has dwindled to 47%. The loss of voter support likely was triggered by the entrance of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders into the race; his numbers have soared from single-digits in the state in May to 35% in the latest poll.

While 46% of likely Democratic primary voters said in May that they would enthusiastically support Clinton’s nomination that number dropped to 37% in the latest poll. In February, 73% of likely Democratic voters in the June 2016 presidential primary supported Clinton.

In the leftist Bay Area, Clinton drew 45% of voters, compared to the 38% supporting Sanders.

California Democrats apparently favor a competitive race for the presidential nomination; 63% of the same group of likely voters approved of Vice President Joe Biden’s possible entrance in the 2016 race, although only 15% said they would support him

Mark DiCamillo, the Field Poll’s director, explained the radical change in Clinton’s California support: “I think it primarily has to do with the fact that over the past few months almost all the news voters have heard about Hillary Clinton has been about this email scandal, and not her policy positions. The campaign is pretty much in a defensive mode and that’s never a good thing.”

He posited that the desire among voters for a wider slate of candidates was triggered by all the attention currently focused on GOP candidates, saying: “Democratic voters really would like the opportunity to see their candidate against any and all comers, and Biden would certainly be welcomed into race.”