Raleigh, N.C. – Carly Fiorina and Meg Whitman top their closest challengers in their respective primaries by almost 2:1 margins with two weeks remaining in the race. Looking ahead to 2012, Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney lead a potential five-way presidential field.
In the Senate race for the right to challenge incumbent Democrat Barbara Boxer, Fiorina pulls 41% to Tom Campbell’s 21% and Chuck DeVore’s 16%, with 4% pledging support to minor candidates and 18% undecided. Campbell actually leads Fiorina 32-30 among the 28% moderate minority, but Fiorina leads 47-15 among the 69% conservative majority, with DeVore at 19%.
Whitman is ahead of Steve Poizner 51-26 in the battle to face Democrat Jerry Brown for Arnold Schwarzenegger’s office, with 11% going to someone else and 12% still undecided. Whitman posts a 50-24 favorability mark to Poizner’s 26-44, suggesting they are getting little support from those who dislike them or like their opponent.
Gingrich draws 28% of the presidential vote to 25% for Romney, 18% for Sarah Palin, 13% for Mike Huckabee, and 10% for Ron Paul. Gingrich leads 33-26 over Romney with conservatives, but Romney leads 25-17 with moderates. Among the latter, Gingrich is in third behind Paul’s 19%. Palin actually gets 21% of the male vote and only 15% of the female vote. Huckabee does better among women than among men, 17% to 9%. Romney and Paul do equally well between the sexes, while Gingrich gets 30% of men and 26% of women.
“Meg Whitman and Carly Fiorina started out as the favorites in their races and despite some bumps along the road are both back in the driver’s seat,” said Dean Debnam, President of Public Policy Polling.
PPP surveyed 417 likely California Republican primary voters from May 21st to 23rd. The margin of error for the survey is +/-4.8%. Other factors, such as refusal to be interviewed and weighting, may introduce additional error that is more difficult to quantify.
If you would like an interview regarding this release, please contact Dean Debnam at (888) 621-6988 or 919-880-4888.
Topline results are below. Full results, including crosstabs, can be found here.
Q1 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion
of Tom Campbell?
Favorable……………………………………………….. 28%
Unfavorable ……………………………………………. 19%
Not Sure…………………………………………………. 54%
Q2 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion
of Chuck DeVore?
Favorable ………….. 24%
Unfavorable……….. 14%
Not Sure……………. 62%
Q3 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion
of Carly Fiorina?
Favorable ………….. 46%
Unfavorable……….. 17%
Not Sure……………. 37%
Q4 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion
of Steve Poizner?
Favorable ………….. 26%
Unfavorable……….. 44%
Not Sure……………. 30%
Q5 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion
of Meg Whitman?
Favorable ………….. 50%
Unfavorable……….. 24%
Not Sure……………. 26%
Q6 If the Republican candidates for U.S. Senate
were Tom Campbell, Chuck DeVore, and Carly
Fiorina, who would you vote for?
Tom Campbell ………………………………………… 21%
Chuck DeVore ………………………………………… 16%
Carly Fiorina …………………………………………… 41%
Someone else…………………………………………. 4%
Undecided………………………………………………. 18%
Q7 If the Republican candidates for Governor were
Steve Poizner and Meg Whitman, who would
you vote for?
Steve Poizner …………………………………………. 26%
Meg Whitman………………………………………….. 51%
Someone else…………………………………………. 11%
Undecided………………………………………………. 12%
Q8 If the Republican candidates for President in
2012 were Newt Gingrich, Mike Huckabee,
Sarah Palin, Ron Paul, and Mitt Romney who
would you vote for?
Newt Gingrich …………………………………………. 28%
Mike Huckabee ……………………………………….. 13%
Sarah Palin …………………………………………….. 18%
Ron Paul ………………………………………………… 10%
Mitt Romney……………………………………………. 25%
Undecided………………………………………………. 6%
Q9 If you are a liberal, press 1. If a moderate,
press 2. If a conservative, press 3.
Liberal ……………………………………………………. 3%
Moderate………………………………………………… 28%
Conservative…………………………………………… 69%
Q10 If you are a woman, press 1, if a man, press 2.
Woman ………………………………………………….. 47%
Man……………………………………………………….. 53%
