One week before election day, Democrat Gray Davis is clinging to a steady lead over Republican Bill Simon Jr., but widespread discontent with the incumbent has kept him from pulling away in the governor's race, according to a new Los Angeles Times poll.
Californians remain underwhelmed by their choices: More than half of likely voters in the poll say their pick is merely the best of a bad lot. And they give Davis dismal ratings on most issues facing the state. A majority believe that California is on the wrong track and just about half consider Davis a poor leader.
And yet, by 45% to 36%, those likely to cast ballots next Tuesday say that they will vote to reelect Davis to a second four-year term, according to the survey completed Sunday night. Eleven percent of the likely voters were backing other candidates and 8% were undecided. The numbers were largely unchanged from a Times poll conducted four weeks ago.
Davis' advantage stems almost entirely from the fact that, unpopular as he is, Simon is held in even worse regard.
"Gov. Davis can't make up his mind whether to put his right shoe on his right foot. He sits there and does nothing," said Leona Wise, a 70-year-old college librarian and Democrat from South Pasadena who consented to a follow-up interview. That said, Wise continued, "if push comes to shove" and she absolutely had to, she would vote for Davis, because she believes his GOP rival "is an idiot."
Negative assessments of Simon were shared by nearly 6 in 10 likely voters, the survey found. Only about a third had a favorable view of the Los Angeles businessman, a first-time political candidate who has been the subject of millions of dollars worth of Davis attack ads. The governor is scarcely more popular, even though he has shifted the tone of his advertising lately to a more positive message in hopes of buffing his image. A little more than 4 in 10 likely voters had a favorable impression of Davis, while 56% viewed him unfavorably.
In other statewide contests, Democrats were leading all seven down-ballot races for offices such as lieutenant governor, attorney general and treasurer. But several of the contests have tightened over the last month and two of them -- the fights for controller and secretary of state -- have turned into genuine horse races.
In the contest for controller, Democrat Steve Westly was marginally ahead of Republican Tom McClintock, 41% to 37%. In the race for secretary of state, Democrat Kevin Shelley was leading Republican Keith Olberg, 41% to 35%. In both races, the lead was within the poll's margin of error.
