Poll shows California voters would back Schwarzenegger again

Arnold Schwarzenegger

SAN FRANCISCO - A majority of California voters would be inclined to vote for Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger over potential Democratic rivals if he runs for a second term next year, according to a leading statewide poll released on Friday.

The Republican governor has not committed to seeking re-election, but if he did, 56 percent of registered voters say they would tend to support him against 42 percent who say they would not, the Field Poll found.

When possible Democratic candidates are paired against Schwarzenegger, he is favoured in each case by margins ranging from 15 to 19 percentage points, according to the Field Poll.

In each of those match-ups, 52 percent of registered voters would choose Schwarzenegger.

Director and actor Rob Reiner would get support from 37 percent of registered voters and State Treasurer Phil Angelides would receive 35 percent, the poll found.

Attorney General Bill Lockyer would get 34 percent and state Controller Steve Westly 33 percent.

Among the four possible Democrats, Reiner would be the front-runner in a primary election for governor with support from 20 percent of party primary voters. If he is not in the primary race, Lockyer would be the party's front-runner, with support from 20 percent of Democratic primary voters.

Schwarzenegger was elected in October 2003 when voters ousted Governor Gray Davis in a recall and replaced him with the Austrian-born Hollywood actor.

The poll findings are based on a telephone survey of 800 registered state voters from February 8 to February 17.

Results from the overall sample have a sampling error of 3.5 percentage points, while results from interviews with Democratic primary election voters have a sampling error of 5.3 percentage points.

- REUTERS