Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Kamala Harris Up, Biden (Way) Down in Latest California Poll
gvw_calmatters
By CalMatters
Published 6 years ago on
July 30, 2019

Share

A new poll gives Sen. Kamala Harris a narrow lead among Democratic voters in her home state of California, but otherwise shows the race is still up in the air.
That’s probably terrible news for Joe Biden.


Ben Christopher
CalMatters

And the poll is also bound to disappoint Pete Buttigieg. The mayor of South Bend, Indiana, raised more money in California in the past quarter than any other Democratic contender, yet he lagged in fifth place among the state’s likely Democratic voters.
The new survey from the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California found 19% of Democrats and left-leaning independents who are likely to vote say they would cast their ballot for Harris if the presidential primary were held today.

Biden Slips to Fourth Place

There’s still seven months before they could actually cast those ballots, but the state’s March 3 primary is a few months earlier than it has been in years past. And that seems certain to give voters here an earlier, more consequential say about who will take on President Donald Trump in the general election.
Just behind Harris in the poll were Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren with 15% of respondents (and a top performance among college graduates), and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders with 12%.
Biden, the former vice president who has long been considered the candidate to beat in the race, came in fourth with 11%.
The poll has an error margin of plus or minus 4.4%.


“You can’t really say that the person who we thought was going to be the frontrunner — Biden — is. Because clearly, he is not in California,” said Mark Baldassare, president of the institute. “He’s not where people thought Biden would be. Maybe it’s less surprising that Harris would be off to a good start in a state where she’s run for office several times.”

Biden the Most Vulnerable to Bad News

Monday’s poll is one of a series of lackluster indicators for Team Biden in California. A Quinnipiac University survey from earlier this month found Biden had slipped from his first-place post in that poll among registered Democrats, losing ground to Harris.
The former vice president also struggled with individual donors in California. So far in 2019, he’s raised less with that group than Harris, Buttigieg and Trump.
Of all the candidates, Biden may be the most vulnerable to a bit of bad news. A number of surveys have found his appeal among Democratic voters is based on the perception that he is the most “electable.” Today’s new poll putting him in fourth place puts a crack in that presumption of inevitability.
But even with California’s newly prominent place on the primary calendar, it’s not clear how much that will matter. A fresh Quinnipiac poll shows Biden still leads among Democratic voters nationwide.
And with more than half a year to go before the first California votes are cast, there is still plenty of time for voters to make up their minds. According to the Public Policy Institute’s poll, a quarter of likely Democratic voters have yet to do so, including nearly a third of self-described moderates and conservatives.
CalMatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Mayor Baraka of Newark, New Jersey, Arrested at ICE Detention Center He Has Been Protesting

DON'T MISS

FDA Will Allow Three New Color Additives Made From Minerals, Algae and Flower Petals

DON'T MISS

Pentagon Directs Military to Pull Library Books That Address Diversity, Anti-Racism, Gender Issues

DON'T MISS

Fresno Pays the Most for Electricity. What Are Lawmakers Doing About It?

DON'T MISS

Freed Palestinian Student Accuses Columbia University of Inciting Violence

DON'T MISS

First At-Home Test Kit for Cervical Cancer Approved by the FDA, Company Says

DON'T MISS

US to Accept White South African Refugees While Other Programs Remain Paused

DON'T MISS

15 States Sue Over Trump’s Move to Fast-Track Oil and Gas Projects via His ‘Energy Emergency’ Order

DON'T MISS

New Fresno Judge Baloian Uses Experience on Both Sides of Legal Table

DON'T MISS

Leo XIV’s Service to Poor Propelled Him to Papacy, Cardinals Say

UP NEXT

Leo XIV’s Service to Poor Propelled Him to Papacy, Cardinals Say

UP NEXT

Nitrous Oxide Recreational Use Risks: Brain Damage, Death, and Easy Access

UP NEXT

Former Supreme Court Justice David Souter, a Republican Who Became a Liberal Darling, Dies at 85

UP NEXT

Pope Leo XIV Celebrates First Mass as Pope and Calls His Election Both a Cross and a Blessing

UP NEXT

Selma Bear Sighting Prompts Police, Wildlife Response

UP NEXT

Republicans’ Trust in Media Increases Following Trump’s Return to White House

UP NEXT

Rejoicing Peruvians See Pope Leo XIV as One of Their Own After His Many Years in Peru

UP NEXT

Shohei Ohtani Could Have Landed 15-Year Deal, Agent Says, but He Didn’t Want to Risk Skills Decline

UP NEXT

Joe Biden Blames Kamala Harris’ Loss on Sexism and Racism and Rejects Concerns About His Age

UP NEXT

Before Tariff Price Increases, Mark Cuban Suggests Stocking Up on These Items

Fresno Pays the Most for Electricity. What Are Lawmakers Doing About It?

13 minutes ago

Freed Palestinian Student Accuses Columbia University of Inciting Violence

15 minutes ago

First At-Home Test Kit for Cervical Cancer Approved by the FDA, Company Says

17 minutes ago

US to Accept White South African Refugees While Other Programs Remain Paused

21 minutes ago

15 States Sue Over Trump’s Move to Fast-Track Oil and Gas Projects via His ‘Energy Emergency’ Order

26 minutes ago

New Fresno Judge Baloian Uses Experience on Both Sides of Legal Table

30 minutes ago

Leo XIV’s Service to Poor Propelled Him to Papacy, Cardinals Say

49 minutes ago

The State Law Taking a Financial Toll on California Budgets

52 minutes ago

Iran to Send Russia Launchers for Short-Range Missiles, Sources Say

1 hour ago

Fresno Unified Draws Union Pushback in Social Media Battle With Teachers

2 hours ago

Mayor Baraka of Newark, New Jersey, Arrested at ICE Detention Center He Has Been Protesting

NEWARK, N.J. — Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested Friday at an federal immigration detention center where he has been protesting its openi...

6 minutes ago

https://www.communitymedical.org/thecause?utm_source=Misfit+Digital&utm_medium=GVWire+Banner+Ads&utm_campaign=Branding+2025&utm_content=thecause
6 minutes ago

Mayor Baraka of Newark, New Jersey, Arrested at ICE Detention Center He Has Been Protesting

9 minutes ago

FDA Will Allow Three New Color Additives Made From Minerals, Algae and Flower Petals

12 minutes ago

Pentagon Directs Military to Pull Library Books That Address Diversity, Anti-Racism, Gender Issues

13 minutes ago

Fresno Pays the Most for Electricity. What Are Lawmakers Doing About It?

15 minutes ago

Freed Palestinian Student Accuses Columbia University of Inciting Violence

18 minutes ago

First At-Home Test Kit for Cervical Cancer Approved by the FDA, Company Says

21 minutes ago

US to Accept White South African Refugees While Other Programs Remain Paused

26 minutes ago

15 States Sue Over Trump’s Move to Fast-Track Oil and Gas Projects via His ‘Energy Emergency’ Order

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend