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Poll: Majority of California Voters Don't Want Feinstein to Run for Reelection in 2018

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D., Calif.) / Getty Images
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D., Calif.) / Getty Images
April 4, 2017

A majority of California voters do not want Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein (Calif.) to run for reelection in 2018, according to a new Berkeley IGS poll released Monday.

The poll found 52 percent of registered voters said it would be a "bad thing" when asked if Feinstein should run for a sixth term to the Senate. Only 48 percent said it would be a "good thing" if Feinstein, a longtime fixture in California politics, ran again.

When respondents were told that Feinstein will be 84 years old next year, the number of people who think Feinstein should not run for reelection jumped to 62 percent.

Poll Director Mark DiCamillo said the responses show that California voters want a new senator.

"It's an interesting result that may just show some voters think it may be time for someone new to join in," DiCamillo told the Sacramento Bee.  "It's an indication, perhaps, that some voters are growing restless and want a new face in Washington."

Although a majority of Californians want Feinstein to retire, they approve of the job she is doing. Fifty-nine percent of respondents approve of Feinstein's performance, and the number stands at 82 percent among Democrats, according to the poll.

Another recent poll by the Public Policy Institute of California showed Feinstein's approval rating had dropped seven points from 56 percent to 49 percent.

DiCamillo predicted that if Feinstein were to run, people who want her to retire would still vote for her.

"All in all, voters would be inclined to support her if she did run," DiCamillo said.