Previously: It’s Going To Take More Than A Logo
A new Field Poll released today shows California Attorney General Jerry Brown holding a large lead over San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom for the Democratic nomination for governor in 2010.
Brown leads Newsom 47 percent to 27 percent among Democratic voters, according to a poll of 1,005 registered voters in California conducted over the past few weeks.
The survey also showed that among Republican voters, 49 percent are still undecided about the race, which includes former eBay CEO Meg Whitman, former congressman and state finance director Tom Campbell, and state Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner.
Whitman leads the group with 22 percent support, while Campbell is just behind at 20 percent and Poizner trails with 9 percent.
When asked to choose between the various Democrat and Republican candidates in potential general election match-ups, both Brown and Newsom received more votes than any Republican candidate.
However, while Brown’s leads over the Republicans are as large as 25 points, Newsom’s leads are in the single digits.
According to the poll, Brown’s advantage is among voters who are in Southern California and are older than 40.
Brown receives just 43 percent support among Northern California voters, compared to 38 percent for Newsom. His lead was 50 percent to 19 percent in the southern part of the state.
Newsom receives more support than Brown among voters between the ages of 18 and 39 years old.
But while Newsom leads in that age group, with 41 percent preferring him to 32 percent for Brown, the San Francisco mayor trailed by 30 points among voters between 40 and 64 years old, and by 45 points among voters who are at least 65 years old.
“All the polling lately has been volatile, as it historically is in gubernatorial primary campaigns, with swings up and down,” Newsom campaign manager Nick Clemons said this morning. “Mayor Newsom continues to reach out to Democratic primary voters who want a new direction for California.”
Newsom announced in April that he would run for governor and has been actively campaigning. Brown has not formally announced his candidacy, but filed official paperwork last week with the Secretary of State to start an exploratory committee.
The poll also considered the possibility of Sen. Dianne Feinstein entering the race.
When Feinstein’s name was included, she led both Brown and Newsom among Democratic primary voters, receiving 40 percent support, compared to 27 percent for Brown and 16 percent for Newsom.
On the Republican side, no candidate distinguished themselves among a particular region or age group. Whitman holds a small lead over Campbell — 21 percent to 16 percent–among Southern California voters, while Campbell leads 26 percent to 24 percent in Northern California.
California Republican Party Chairman Ron Nehring said in a statement today that the party “has attracted a strong field of candidates for governor. While the voters will determine our ultimate nominee, the strength of the field means we will head into next year’s general election campaign with a formidable top of the ticket.”
