California Democrats clung to narrow leads in three high-profile state-wide races as early voting began, according to the latest exclusive SurveyUSA polling for CBS 5. The poll also found increasing support for Proposition 19, which would legalize marijuana.
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In the race for U.S. Senator, incumbent Democrat Barbara Boxer held onto a 46% to 43% advantage. That lead is unchanged from a poll released 12 days ago and within the poll’s margin of error of ± 3.9%.
In the race for the open Governor’s seat, Democrat Jerry Brown inched slightly higher in the latest poll, where he holds a 47% to 43% advantage. The percentage of Brown backers is up a point since the previous poll. The numbers for Republican Meg Whitman remained flat.
For weeks, Democrats have pushing the story that the national Republican Party -- looking at the gap incumbent Sen. Barbara Boxer is opening in the polls against Republican challenger Carly Fiorina --was pulling the plug on it's $1.9 million ad campaign to defeat Boxer.
The Republicans said that was a lie, and today, made good on at least part of their promise by funding Fiorina's second TV spot, a 30-second ad called "Day," funded by the National Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee. The ad buy indicates the GOP is confident enough in Fiorina that it is willing to commit scarce campaign funds to a very expensive state. The GOP is betting on a wave election to take home a trophy as big as the Boxer seat.
