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Independent, objective, nonpartisan research
Statewide Survey · October 2006

PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and the Future

Mark Baldassare

Some findings in the current survey, two weeks before the Nov. 7 election:

  • Among likely voters, Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s lead over his Democratic challenger, State Treasurer Phil Angelides, increased one percentage point to 18 points, 48% to 30%, with 13% undecided. Schwarzenegger continues to pull much greater support from Republicans (86%) than Angelides does from Democrats (57%).
  • Likely voters continue to name immigration (21%) and education (19%) as the issues they most want the candidates for governor to discuss, followed by the state budget and taxes (10%), and jobs and the economy (7%). But most voters (60%), and at least half of Democrats (67%), Republicans (50%), and independents (60%), say they are dissatisfied with the attention that the gubernatorial candidates are giving to the issues.
  • Overall, Californians show more support for the general concept of using state bonds to pay for infrastructure than they do for any of the specific measures on the November ballot: 61 percent of likely voters think it is a good idea for the state government to pay for infrastructure improvements by issuing bonds, but 58 percent of likely voters say the $43 billion price tag for the five current bond measures is too much.
  • A majority of likely voters (59%) favors redistricting reform that would require an independent commission of citizens, not the governor and legislature, to adopt a new redistricting plan after each Census.

This is the 72nd PPIC Statewide Survey and the third in a four-part, pre- and post-election series, made possible with funding from The James Irvine Foundation.


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Political Landscape Statewide Survey