LOS ANGELES--As the most expensive primary election campaign in California history draws to a close, billionaire and former eBay CEO Meg Whitman has jumped to a 2-to-1 lead over state Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner in the race for the Republican nomination for governor, according to a just-released California Field Poll.

Whitman is favored 51 percent to 26 over Poizner among likely Republican voters ahead of Tuesday’s balloting.

“This shows money can buy you love even in a seesaw race like this one,” says Barbara O’Connor, director of the Institute for the Study of Politics and Media at Sacramento State University. Whitman has spent more than $80 million on her campaign.

“The Whitman lead shows that the enormous sums she has spent on advertising are paying off,” says Jessica Levinson, political reform director of the Center for Governmental Studies (CGS). “Unfortunately, in California, the ability to buy television ads can still translate into a lead in the polls. Even with the advent of the internet, money still talks in campaigns.”

Poizner has also spent wads of cash, over $20 million, but has not concentrated on forwarding an agenda so much as complaining over Whitman’s pocketbook, says Ms. Levinson.

“Poizner’s campaign seems to have focused more on attacking Whitman than on promoting himself,” she says. “This is a strategy that may not have gained real traction with the voters.”

Whitman’s surge in the polls occurred as she spent more money than any candidate in California history to tell voters that the ailing state needs to “be run like a business.” She touted her own history as CEO of eBay as evidence that she is the candidate that can turn the state around.

“Whitman has run a terrific campaign, very few mistakes,” says Robert Stern, president of CGS. (Source: Christian Science Monitor)

Story Date: June 8, 2010