Poll: Clinton and Sanders in dead heat in California
By Steven Shepard
05/26/16 12:01 AM EDT
Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders are virtually deadlocked in California, the biggest prize of the 2016 Democratic presidential primary season, according to a new poll.
The survey, conducted by the Public Policy Institute of California, finds Clinton with only a small lead over Sanders, 46 percent to 44 percent, among likely voters in the Democratic primary next month.
The poll also shows a majority of Republican primary voters will cast their ballots for Donald Trump, who is joined on the ballot with four of his one-time rivals for the GOP nomination. And, in the closely watched all-party primary to replace retiring Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer, two Democrats are poised to advance to the general election.
California looms largest in the Democratic presidential race, however: Clinton is likely to clinch the nomination on the evening of June 7 — factoring in the expressed preferences of unpledged superdelegates — even before polls close in California. But a victory over Sanders in California later that night could ratify Clinton’s nomination in the minds of many voters.
A Sanders win, on the other hand, creates an awkward situation for Clinton, who could be celebrating being dubbed the “presumptive nominee” even as she loses the nation’s largest state — and one of its most diverse.
The PPIC poll shows the race breaking along familiar lines. Sanders holds a large advantage among younger voters — leading 66 percent to 27 percent among voters under age 45 — while Clinton leads, 59 percent to 28 percent, among voters 45 and older. |
