Californians back Becerra and reject AI data centers by big margins, poll finds

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Set us as preferred Democrat Xavier Becerra holds a commanding lead in the California governor’s race in a new poll, which also shows broad voter support for a ballot proposition to reform the state’s landmark environmental law to speed up housing and infrastructure.The survey by the Public Policy Institute of California, released Wednesday night, focused primarily on questions related to climate change and environmental policies.

The results show Californians have a strong distaste for building data centers for artificial intelligence technology, and largely favor the state’s efforts to protect the environment and cut emissions — with some exceptions.The survey showed Becerra with a big lead over Republican Steve Hilton in the race to replace term-limited Gov.

Gavin Newsom.Becerra, a longtime Democratic officeholder, received support from 61% of likely voters, compared with 36% for Hilton, a populist conservative who once advised a British prime minister.The results are not surprising in a state where Democratic voters significantly outnumber Republicans.

The GOP has not won a statewide election since 2008.Just 2% of likely voters said they were unsure which candidate to support in the November election.

The poll results skewed heavily partisan, with more than 9 in 10 Democratic and Republican voters picking their party’s respective candidate.Most independent voters leaned toward Becerra, 60%, over Hilton, 34%.The results are similar to data from a poll conducted just before the June 2 primary election that asked voters to pick between the two candidates.

In that survey, 52% said they supported Becerra and 31% were for Hilton.In a statement Wednesday, Hilton characterized the race as “wide open,” contending that Becerra’s support was weaker than the poll’s headline figures would indicate.“Instead of a...