California voters wanted Kamala Harris to drop out of presidential race, poll finds

Sen. Kamala Harris’ decision to drop out of the 2020 presidential race came as a new poll showed a majority of California Democrats wanted Harris to exit the race.

The poll, conducted by the Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies for The Times, showed that by 61% to 24%, likely Democratic primary voters in California thought Harris should quit the race.

A large majority of Harris’ own supporters wanted her to stay in the race, but her ’ support in the state had steadily slipped, and she was the first choice of only 7% of the state’s Democratic primary voters, according to the poll, which was conducted Nov. 21-27.

Judging by the second choices of her supporters, former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Elizabeth Warren would be the likely main beneficiaries of her withdrawal, at least in California, which holds its primary on March 3. About a third of likely California primary voters who picked Harris as their first-choice candidate named Biden as their second choice. About a quarter chose Warren, the poll found. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Ind., were next in line, both chosen as a second choice by about 14% of Harris voters.

The poll was conducted online in English and Spanish on Nov. 21-27 among 1,694 Californians considered likely to vote in the state’s upcoming Democratic presidential primary.