Billionaire Donald Trump leads Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) by seven points in the latest Field Poll ahead of the state’s June 7 Republican primary.
A total of 172 delegates are at stake.
The poll of 1,400 registered voters was conducted from March 24 to April 4. It includes 558 self-identified Republicans who say they are likely to vote in the primary.
Trump is the choice of 39 percent of GOP primary voters, Cruz nets 32 percent, and Ohio Governor garners John Kasich 18 percent. The remaining 11 percent are undecided or intend to vote for someone else.
NBC Bay Area political analyst Larry Gerston, “I wouldn't get too excited about a seven point differential between Trump and Cruz. To begin with, the difference is within the margin of error of plus or minus 4 percent. Even more critically, the delegate selections result from the outcomes in each congressional district. Theoretically, a candidate can win a plurality in more than half the districts, thereby being assured of most of the delegates, but lose the overall vote if another won his districts by overwhelming margins. The bottom line is that this is shaping up to be a close race where all three candidates will collect delegates, with precise numbers all but impossible to predict because of the election process."
Overall, 74 percent of California voters have an unfavorable view of Trump.
Cruz fares a little better, but is still underwater, with 64 percent holding an unfavorable opinion of him.
In a general election matchup, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would carry California
