Poll: Feinstein’s lead over challenger cut in half

Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s (D-Calif.) lead against state Rep. Kevin de León (D) in their Senate race is down to 11 points, according to a new survey released late Wednesday.

The survey from the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) shows likely voters backing Feinstein 40 to 29, with 23 percent saying they would not vote in the race and 8 percent undecided. Feinstein and de León are both Democrats and advanced to the general election after claiming the top two spots under California’s jungle primary system. Fifty-two percent of Republicans and 26 percent of independents said they did not intend to vote.

Feinstein’s 11-point lead though is down from the same poll in July, which showed her up 24 points.

{mosads}In Wednesday’s poll, Feinstein’s edge expanded to 52-37 when voters who did not intend to vote were removed from the sample.

This surge for de León comes after the California Democratic Party endorsed him in July, a move seen as a rebuke of 25-year incumbent Feinstein.

De León may also have been boosted by his criticism of Feinstein’s handling of a letter given to her detailing accusations by Christine Blasey Ford about an alleged sexual assault by Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh.

“The American people deserve to know why the ranking member on the Senate Judiciary Committee waited nearly three months to hand this disqualifying document over to federal authorities,’’ he said in a statement after the letter became public.

“And why Senator Feinstein politely pantomimed her way through last week’s hearing without a single question about the content of Kavanaugh’s character.”

The PPIC poll surveyed 964 likely voters between Sept. 9-18. The margin of error is 4.8 points.