Schiff holds lead in California Senate primary: Poll

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) holds a comfortable lead in the California Senate primary over his Republican and Democratic challengers, according to a poll released Thursday.

The Emerson College Polling/Inside California Politics/The Hill survey found Schiff at 28 percent, Republican Steve Garvey at 20 percent, Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.) at 17 percent, Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) at 8 percent and all other candidates at less than 5 percent each. A separate 17 percent are undecided.

When undecided voters are asked which candidate they’re leaning toward, Schiff’s polling moves to 31 percent, Garvey sits at 22 percent, while Porter sits at 20 percent and Lee receives 11 percent.

California holds a jungle primary, in which all candidates running for the same office are listed on the same ballot regardless of party affiliation. The two candidates who receive the most votes move on to compete in the general election.

The California Senate candidates are running for the seat left open by the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D), who died in September. Sen. Laphonza Butler (D) is serving out the rest of Feintstein’s term but not seeking a full term in the role.

A similar survey released earlier this month showed Schiff still at 28 percent and Garvey at 22 percent, Porter receiving 16 percent and Lee was sitting at 9 percent; another 17 percent said they were undecided.

“Both Garvey and Porter are within the poll’s margin of error for second place in a race where a top-two finish would place them on the ballot in November,” Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling, explained in a press release.

“Among those who have already voted, 47% supported Schiff, 19% Porter, 18% Garvey, and 10% Lee. Among those who have yet to vote but are likely to do so, 30% support Schiff, 22% Garvey, and Porter 20%.”

The Emerson College Polling/Inside California Politics/The Hill survey was conducted Feb. 24-27 among 1,000 likely voters and people who had already voted. The margin of error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.