SAN FRANCISCO (Diya TV) — An independent election poll released Monday has revealed new info in the contentious rematch between Rep. Mike Honda and Ro Khanna is a tossup with less than a month before Election Day.
A SurveyUSA-KPIX poll shows Khanna garnering support of 38 percent of those who were surveyed, while Honda trailed slightly behind at 37 percent. More than a quarter of those surveyed—26 percent—said they are yet to make their decision. The results are well within the survey’s +/-4.3 percent margin of error and based on 650 registered voters polled Oct. 4-7.
The poll could serve as a possible reaction how voters may be viewing a lawsuit filed by the Honda campaign Sept. 22, alleging Khanna and his campaign manager illegally accessed confidential donor information.
Based on the polling, news of the lawsuit may or may not have tightened up an already close race, but it certainly has not hurt the Honda campaign. Khanna topped Honda in the June primary by less than two percentage points.
Monday’s survey shows the two candidates locked in the tightest neck-and-neck in nearly every crosstab, especially gender and race. However, the poll shows two large disparities — one surprising and one reinforcing a long-standing strength.
Honda holds a 12-point advantage over Khanna among young voters, according to the survey. Those between 18 and 34-years-old favored Honda 35-23. However the subset also has by far the largest percentage of undecided voters at 42.
The sudden shift of young people towards the Honda camp could be significant in light of a massive number of newly registered voters in recent weeks. Young voters tend to favor progressive-leaning candidates.
On the other end of the spectrum, Khanna is holding a strong advantage among independent and Republican voters. Khanna leads Honda among all Republicans, 47-25. and among all independents, 46-31. Meanwhile, all Democrats favor Honda, 47-32.
