While California voters prefer progressive candidates, they are split on those who identify as democratic socialist, according to a new poll.
The UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies
poll released Wednesday, Aug. 19, measured California voters' responses to five candidate descriptors: “a progressive,” “a democratic socialist,” “a mainstream Democrat,” “a Republican,” and a “MAGA supporter.”Overall, California voters prefer candidates who identify as progressive, with 40% of registered voters saying they would be more inclined to back a candidate who is progressive, while 29% would be less inclined, the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll released Wednesday, Aug. 19, shows. Twenty percent say it would not make much of a difference,
and 11% have no opinion.
For candidates described as democratic socialists, voters are split: 38% say it would make them more inclined to support the candidate, and 38% would be less inclined.
Both descriptors are viewed more positively among California voters than a candidate who identifies as a mainstream Democrat. Thirty-six percent of voters say such a descriptor would make them less inclined to support that candidate, while 29% are more inclined to support.
“Faring far worse to voters in this heavily Democratic-leaning state are candidates described as either a Republican or as a MAGA supporter, whom majorities would be less inclined to support and only a fraction would be more inclined to back,” pollsters said.
Fifty-two percent say they would be less inclined to support a candidate described as a Republican, compared to the 23% who say they’d be more inclined. Candidates who described themselves as a MAGA supporter garnered even less voter support, with 64% less inclined and 14% more inclined to back such candidates.
Preferences vary along party lines
A voter’s willingness to support a candidate based on a descriptor varied widely along partisan lines.
Democrats react more positively toward candidates “described as progressives, democratic socialists, or mainstream Democrats, while Republicans overwhelmingly react negatively to them,” pollsters noted.
By contrast, few Democrats react positively to candidates who identify as a Republican or MAGA supporter, while a majority of GOP voters (70%) would be more inclined to support a candidate who is Republican and a plurality (46%) would be more inclined to back one who is a MAGA supporter.
The views of voters of No Party Preference or those registered to other parties are more aligned with California Democratic than Republicans, though some differences emerge.
"For example, compared to registered Democrats, voters not affiliated with either major party offer more divided views about candidates who are progressives and democratic socialists and hold more negative than positive views of those described as mainstream Democrats," pollsters said.
Poll finds generational differences for voters
The poll found there are “prominent” generational differences for the state’s Democratic electorate, specifically for candidates who identify as democratic socialists or mainstream Democrats.
“For example, greater than two in three Democrats under age 40 say they would be more inclined to support a candidate who is a democratic socialist, while less than half of Democrats ages 65 or older would,” pollsters said.
The opposite is true for candidates who identify as mainstream Democrats: “about twice as many older Democrats than younger Democrats would be inclined to support,” according to pollsters.
There are also generational differences when looking at how the descriptors of Republican or MAGA supporter affect a GOP voter’s support. Younger Republicans are "significantly less likely" to have a positive reaction to either descriptor than their older counterparts.
“The preferences reveal important generational divides across California voters. Older Republicans and Democrats favor ‘MAGA' and ‘Mainstream Democrat’ candidates respectively at significantly greater rates than their younger, under-40 counterparts,” IGS Co-Director G. Cristina Mora said in a news release. “As analysts look toward future elections, questions about who can galvanize these younger voters with newer, fresher campaigns will be important to answer.”
The IGS poll, conducted between Aug. 3 and Aug. 9, surveyed 4,207 registered California voters, with a weighted sample base of 1,905 Democrats,1,060 Republicans, and 1,242 No Party Preference or other registrants. The poll's margin of error was ±2.5 percentage points.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: California voters favor progressives over mainstream Democrats, poll finds
