When Sen. Feinstein came in under the 50% back in the spring Field poll, most figured it was something of a fluke. But today we find out that, no, those numbers appear to be pretty accurate. Today's Field poll show her again under 50%:
As Feinstein prepares to run for re-election next year, California voters are inclined to support her, 43 percent to 39 percent, according to the poll.
That four-point margin - the same as Feinstein posted in a Field Poll earlier this year - is her smallest ever in a pre-election year. First elected to the Senate in 1992, her margins of pre-election year support ranged from 19 percentage points to 29 percentage points before, the poll said.
Yet Feinstein's public approval rating remains favorable, with 46 percent of voters approving of the job she is doing, according to the poll. Thirty-one percent disapprove, and 23 percent have no opinion. ()
Now, before you read too much into this, there are still a lot of questions before thinking that she's actually vulnerable. First, no prominent Republican candidate has really emerged for the race. Second, a primary challenge under the Top-2 system is virtually impossible. Given that voters can vote for anybody, the chance that a Democrat could defeat Feinstein and not just win the right to a rematch seems pretty slim.
Perhaps it is worth to keep a bit of an eye out on this race, but until I hear of a credible candidate, this looks to be Sen. Feinstein's race to lose. |
