Brown Holds Wide Leads Over 2014 Challengers in New Polls

The Field and Public Policy Institute of California polls are two of the best-known surveys in state politics, and their latest reports paint a similar picture - a pretty picture for Democrat Jerry Brown.

The governor hasn’t officially said he’ll run for a record fourth term in 2014, but he’s widely expected to do so.  And if he does, “Brown may enjoy the kind of election that Dianne Feinstein had in 2012, where voters really didn’t pay much attention to the challenger.  They seemed to be satisfied with the incumbent and they voted largely on a yes-no vote toward the incumbent,” says the Field Poll’s Mark DiCamillo.

DiCamillo says Brown is getting a boost from the end of years of multi-billion dollar deficits and budget cuts.  “If there continues to be good news coming out of Sacramento, if there’s no real upset in how voters are viewing Brown, it’s gonna be very difficult for the Republicans to change this,” he says.

Registered voters give the governor a 58 percent approval rate in the Field Poll.  PPIC pegs his approval rating among likely voters at 49 percent.  In a potential open primary next June, the governor holds a 40-point lead over his nearest Republican opponent in the Field Poll and a 30 point lead in the PPIC survey.