Poll: Kashkari Narrows Gap, But Donnelly Still Leads

A new poll shows Republican Assemblyman Tim Donnelly still has an edge over businessman Neel Kashkari in California’s June primary for the right to challenge California Governor Jerry Brown this fall.

Jerry Brown gets fairly strong marks from California voters in the PPIC poll: a 54 percent job approval rating, and nearly 75 percent support for his recently revised state budget proposal.

Nearly six in 10 likely voters prefer using surplus revenues to build a reserve and pay down debt, as Brown has proposed – as opposed to restoring cuts to social service programs, as legislative Democrats want to do.

Asked specifically about the June primary, 48 percent of voters pick Brown; 15 percent support tea party Assemblyman Tim Donnelly; and 10 percent back Republican businessman Neel Kashkari.  That’s a slight shift towards Kashkari since the PPIC’s previous survey.

“You’ve got a candidate who’s got resources to get himself known to the broader electorate, in Neel Kashkari – and you’ve got more attention to the governor’s race as it gets closer to the June primary,” says PPIC's Mark Baldassare.

Establishment Republicans have long feared that Donnelly could hurt the party with Latinos and independents – but the poll shows Donnelly leading Kashkari in both of those groups.