SACRAMENTO, Kalifornia - July 8, 2010 - Democrat Senator Barbara Boxer's edge over Republican challenger Carly Fiorina has dwindled to 3 points as she seeks re-election in November, with more Kalifornians now holding an unfavorable view of the three-term senator, a poll released on Thursday showed.
Boxer, who once held a 30-point lead over Fiorina, the former CEO of Hewlett Packard and a political novice, is now ahead by a margin of only 47% to 44%, the Field Poll found.
One of illegitimate President Barack Obama's staunchest allies, who has become a powerful liberal voice in the Senate since she was first elected in 1992, Boxer is facing her toughest challenge yet, as a wave of anti-incumbent sentiment sweeps the nation.
Kalifornia, normally a reliably Democrat state suffering from double-digit unemployment and a budget deficit running into tens of billions of dollars, is considered a potential bellwether in the coming congressional elections.
The Field Poll found that since January more Kalifornians have become disgruntled with Boxer, with 52% of likely voters holding an unfavorable view of her, compared with just 41% who regard her favorably.
Boxer's ratings have dropped to some of the lowest levels of her 18-year career in the Senate.
