Facing the exit of California’s longest-serving U.S. Senator, Californians remain largely undecided about who should take her place.
A new poll from Emerson College and Nexstar offer just a glimmer of the contentious primary ahead, with two Democrats clearly leading the field.
By the numbers: Reps. Adam Schiff (D–Burbank) and Katie Porter (D–Irvine) are in a virtual tie for the seat, the poll shows.
- 14.5 percent of responding California voters said they’d back Schiff in the March 2024 primary.
- Porter is running closely behind with 14.2 percent
- Fellow Rep. Barbara Lee (D–Oakland) sits at a distant third with 6.2 percent of respondents indicating they’d support her in the March Primary.
The other side: Among Republican candidates, 4.3 percent of those surveyed said they would vote for veteran and entrepreneur James P. Bradley and another 2.8 percent favored attorney Eric Early.
The big but: Nearly half of all responding California voters – 47.5 percent – said they remained undecided in the primary battle for Feinstein’s seat.
- Of that share, 60 percent were Republicans and 58 percent were independent voters.