Polls Shakeup CA Governor Race Heading into Tonight's Final Debate

"The seven top candidates for California governor will face off one last time tonight at a 5:30pm televised debate in San Francisco. The debate comes at a pivotal moment in the top-two primary campaign - as mail ballots are returned and new polls show the number of undecided voters are dwindling with less than three weeks until the official June 2 Election Day."

"Emerson College - whose survey of likely California voters May 9-10 was the only poll conducted wholly after the May 5 debate in Southern California - showed Becerra at 19%, followed by fellow Democrat Tom Steyer and Republican former Fox News host Steve Hilton at 17%. Republican Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco slipped to 11% in the poll released this week, followed by former Congress member Katie Porter at 10% and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan at 8%. The poll's margin for error was +/- 3%."

"The Emerson poll's undecided numbers dropped 50% since mid-April, to 12%. In the same period, following the departure of Rep. Eric Swalwell, Becerra's poll popularity nearly doubled, Steyer and Mahan increased their numbers, while Hilton and Porter support numbers were stagnant and Bianco slumped three points."

"The poll continued to show that voter support for the candidates could be fickle, with 40% of voters who have decided on a candidate in the gubernatorial primary saying they were open to changing their minds before voting - increasing the pressure on candidates to score in tonight's debate. Of the top three candidates, 48% of Becerra voters told Emerson pollsters they could change their minds, and 52% percent of Steyer voters say there is a chance they could change their mind - numbers that refle"

Seven candidates for California governor will meet in a televised debate in San Francisco at 5:30pm. The event occurs during the top-two primary campaign as mail ballots are returned and polls show fewer undecided voters with less than three weeks until June 2. Xavier Becerra leads in a recent Emerson College poll at 19%, followed by Tom Steyer and Steve Hilton at 17%. Chad Bianco is at 11%, Katie Porter at 10%, and Matt Mahan at 8%, with a margin of error of +/- 3%. Undecided voters dropped to 12%, and candidate support shifted after Rep. Eric Swalwell left the race. Many voters who have decided remain open to changing their minds, increasing pressure to perform in the debate.

Read at San Jose Inside