Clinton leads Trump by 25 points in California, SurveyUSA poll shows

ByABC7.com staff KABC logo
Monday, September 12, 2016
Presidential nominees Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are shown in campaign photos.
Presidential nominees Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are shown in campaign photos.
AP-AP

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton leads by 25 points in California against Republican nominee Donald Trump, according to the latest exclusive Eyewitness News/Southern California News Group poll conducted by SurveyUSA.

But the numbers may change because 87 percent of people who participated in the poll were interviewed before news of Clinton's pneumonia diagnosis.

In the poll, Clinton appears far ahead of Trump, 57 percent to 32 percent, which are margins similar to when Barack Obama defeated Mitt Romney and John McCain, according to the survey.

In 2008, Obama carried California by 24 points against McCain and by 23 points against Romney in 2012.

The poll also showed that Clinton leads by 30 points among women, especially with single mothers. She also leads among white, Asian, Latino and African-American voters. But Clinton trailed by 4 points against Trump when it came to votes from gun owners.

When people were asked on their opinions being extremely favorable to extremely unfavorable or unsure of the candidates, only 13 percent of those asked had an extremely favorable view of Trump, while 19 percent said favorable. As for Clinton, 19 percent had an extremely favorable review, while 33 percent said favorable.

Many of those asked had extremely unfavorable reviews for each candidate: Trump at 52 percent and Clinton at 31 percent.

The poll also showed that Democrat Kamala Harris leads against Democrat Loretta Sanchez in the election to replace retiring state Sen. Barbara Boxer.

SurveyUSA spoke with voters about four of the 18 propositions on the ballot, which include the legalization of recreational marijuana and a stricter gun regulation.

Voters appeared to favor Proposition 56, which is a $2 tax increase on cigarettes; Proposition 63, which outlaws large-capacity magazines and requires background checks for ammunition purchases; and Proposition 64, which would regulate and tax recreational marijuana.

The only proposition that may fail in the election, according to poll results, is Proposition 62, which would end the state's death penalty and replace it with life-in-prison sentences.

SurveyUSA interviewed 900 California adults, and of those, 782 were registered to vote. Of those registered voters, 678 were considered likely to vote in the general election.

You can see the results of all 27 questions in the poll below:

1. California will elect a President on Tuesday, November 8. Please listen to these 5 statements and tell me which ONE statement best describes you: One: I always vote in Presidential elections, and will definitely vote in this year's presidential election. Two: I always vote in Presidential elections, but this year, I do not like the candidates, so I will not vote in the presidential election this year. Three: I'm not sure yet whether I will or will not vote this year. Four: I rarely vote in Presidential elections, but this year I will go out of my way to vote. Five: I don't vote in Presidential elections, and I won't vote this year.

81% Always Do / Will This Year

4% Always Do / Not This Year

8% Not Sure Yet

6% Rarely Do / Will This Year

1% Don't / Won't This Year

2. If the election for President of the United States were today, and you were filling out your ballot right now, who would you vote for? (names rotated) Republican Donald Trump? Democrat Hillary Clinton? Libertarian Gary Johnson or Green Party candidate Jill Stein?

32% Donald Trump (R)

57% Hillary Clinton (D)

3% Gary Johnson (L)

1% Jill Stein

7% Undecided

3. Is yours more a vote FOR Donald Trump, or more a vote AGAINST Hillary Clinton?

62% For Trump

36% Against Clinton

2% Not Sure

4. Do you vote for Trump enthusiastically? Or with reservations?

64% Enthusiastically

33% With Reservations

3% Not Sure

5. Is yours more a vote FOR Hillary Clinton or more a vote AGAINST Donald Trump?

63% For Clinton

34% Against Trump

3% Not Sure

6. Do you vote for Clinton enthusiastically? Or with reservations?

62% Enthusiastically

34% With Reservations

4% Not Sure

7. Is yours more a vote FOR Gary Johnson? A vote AGAINST Donald Trump? Or a vote AGAINST Hillary Clinton?

51% For Johnson

25% Against Trump

11% Against Clinton

13% Not Sure

8. Is yours more a vote FOR Jill Stein? A vote AGAINST Hillary Clinton? Or a vote AGAINST Donald Trump?

47% For Stein

42% Against Clinton

5% Against Trump

7% Not Sure

9. In past Presidential elections, have you more often voted for the Republican candidate? More often voted for the Democratic candidate? Or have you in the past split pretty much down the middle?

26% Republican

31% Democrat

42% Split

0% Not Sure

10. In the election for United States Senator from California, if you were filling out your ballot right now, who would you vote for? (names rotated) Democrat Kamala Harris? Or Democrat Loretta Sanchez?

44% Harris

27% Sanchez

29% Undecided

11. There are 18 propositions on the California ballot this year. We are going to ask about 4 of them. First ... On Proposition 56, will you vote YES, to increase the tax on cigarettes to $2 per pack? Or will you vote NO, to leave the tax on cigarettes unchanged?

60% Yes On 56

33% No On 56

7% Undecided

0% Will Not Vote

12. On Proposition 62, will you vote YES, to replace the death penalty in California with life in prison? Or will you vote NO, to leave the death penalty in place?

36% Yes On 62

52% No On 62

12% Undecided

0% Will Not Vote

13. Proposition 63 is known as the Firearms and Ammunition Sales Initiative. A YES vote would require persons who want to buy ammunition to pass a background check with the California Department of Justice. And Proposition 63 would make it against the law to possess large-capacity ammunition containers, known as magazines. Will you vote YES on 63, to require background checks on ammo purchases and to make large-capacity magazines illegal? Or will you vote NO on 63, which would leave the existing system in place?

63% Yes On 63

29% No On 63

8% Undecided

1% Will Not Vote

14. Currently, medical marijuana is legal in California, but recreational marijuana is not. Proposition 64 would legalize and tax the recreational use of marijuana. Will you vote YES on Proposition 64, which would legalize the recreational use of marijuana by adults age 21 and older, and which would license, regulate and tax the marijuana industry? Or, will you vote NO on 64, which would keep state laws as they now are?

52% Yes On 64

40% No On 64

8% Undecided

0% Will Not Vote

15. Is your opinion of Barack Obama extremely favorable? Favorable? Unfavorable? Or extremely unfavorable?

36% Extremely Favorable

28% Favorable

11% Unfavorable

24% Extremely Unfavorable

1% Not Sure

16. Is your opinion of Donald Trump extremely favorable? Favorable? Unfavorable? Or extremely unfavorable?

13% Extremely Favorable

19% Favorable

14% Unfavorable

52% Extremely Unfavorable

2% Not Sure

17. Is your opinion of Hillary Clinton extremely favorable? Favorable? Unfavorable? Or extremely unfavorable?

19% Extremely Favorable

33% Favorable

15% Unfavorable

31% Extremely Unfavorable

2% Not Sure

18. Is your opinion of Jerry Brown extremely favorable? Favorable? Unfavorable? Or extremely unfavorable?

15% Extremely Favorable

35% Favorable

20% Unfavorable

18% Extremely Unfavorable

12% Not Sure

19. Is your opinion of Dianne Feinstein extremely favorable? Favorable? Unfavorable? Or extremely unfavorable?

14% Extremely Favorable

38% Favorable

20% Unfavorable

17% Extremely Unfavorable

11% Not Sure

20. Is your opinion of Barbara Boxer extremely favorable? Favorable? Unfavorable? Or extremely unfavorable?

14% Extremely Favorable

33% Favorable

17% Unfavorable

22% Extremely Unfavorable

13% Not Sure

Here are 6 issues important to some voters but not to others. In deciding who to support for President, please tell me if a particular issue is...extremely important, important, unimportant, or extremely unimportant.

21. First, immigration. In deciding who you support for President, is immigration extremely important, important, unimportant, or extremely unimportant?

41% Extremely Important

44% Important

11% Unimportant

3% Extremely Unimportant

2% Not Sure

22. Next, terrorism. In deciding who you support for President, if terrorism is extremely important, important, unimportant, or extremely unimportant?

63% Extremely Important

28% Important

5% Unimportant

2% Extremely Unimportant

2% Not Sure

23. Next, Supreme Court appointments. In deciding who you support for President, if Supreme Court appointments are extremely important, important, unimportant, or extremely unimportant?

51% Extremely Important

33% Important

11% Unimportant

2% Extremely Unimportant

4% Not Sure

24. The environment. If the environment is extremely important, important, unimportant, or extremely unimportant?

46% Extremely Important

38% Important

12% Unimportant

3% Extremely Unimportant

1% Not Sure

25. Treatment of racial minorities. If the treatment of racial minorities is extremely important, important, unimportant, or extremely unimportant?

40% Extremely Important

40% Important

13% Unimportant

4% Extremely Unimportant

2% Not Sure

26. Treatment of gays, lesbians, and transgender persons. If the treatment of the GLBT community is extremely important, important, unimportant, or extremely unimportant?

32% Extremely Important

38% Important

17% Unimportant

10% Extremely Unimportant

3% Not Sure

27. In the community where you live, do the police treat everyone the same? Or, are the police tougher on some groups than others?

54% Treat Everyone The Same

30% Tougher On Some Groups

15% Not Sure