Field Poll: Clinton keeps lead over Sanders in California | The Sacramento Bee

Hillary Clinton maintains a double-digit lead over Bernie Sanders among California Democrats in the presidential primary, virtually unchanged from October, according to a new poll.

The Field Poll, released Wednesday, reflects Clinton’s advantage in Iowa and national polls, though some surveys put her behind the Vermont senator in the early nominating state of New Hampshire.

In California, a late-voting state, Clinton holds the support of 46 percent of likely Democratic primary voters. Sanders runs 11 percentage points behind her, at 35 percent.

Clinton has few areas of weakness in California, outperforming Sanders in most major segments of the likely Democratic electorate. This includes women, Latino and nonwhite voters, registered Democrats and voters who are at least 40 years old.

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Sanders leads Clinton among younger voters and those who are registered independent but plan to vote in the state’s Democratic primary, according to the poll.

Both candidates enjoy positive image ratings, with about three in four likely Democratic voters rating them favorably.

From the pollster:

▪ “Over the three-month period, there could have been some ups and downs for each of them, but it looks like whatever movement there might have been for each of them pretty much washed out, and we’re pretty much where we were in October.”

“You can clearly see what’s bolstering Clinton ... she’s really strong among women – there’s a gender gap – and she’s very strong among ethnic voters.”

– Mark DiCamillo, director, The Field Poll

From the field:

▪ “I think that (Clinton) is fair, and in my opinion, I think that when Bill was running, even though he was running, in my mind she was the brains behind everything.”

“I appreciate the way that she explains things. I’m not really into politics and a political person ... but when I hear her speak, I’m able to understand it.”

– Erika Moore, a 44-year-old Democrat from Sacramento

▪ 

“I think (Sanders) represents the change that we need in the country, vs. what most politicians are going for right now. He seems the most real out of all of them.”

“One of the big things he’s going for is making college free, which would be amazing, because right now I’m trying to go to school, but looking at prices right now, things are insane.”

– Britni Shearer, a 26-year-old Democrat from Tracy