Hillarysworld

California Senator Barbara Boxer is now the latest Democratic incumbent to find herself in a tightening race for reelection.

A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of likely California voters finds Boxer with narrow leads over her three leading Republican challengers, including newcomer Tom Campbell.

As in much of the country, the story may turn in part on the health care plan proposed by President Obama and congressional Democrats, even though support for it is higher in California than nationally.

In California, 49% favor the health care plan, while 48% oppose it. But as in other states, the emotion is on the side of the opponents: Just 25% of California voters Strongly Favor the plan while 39% Strongly Oppose it.

Perhaps even more significantly, 55% of California voters rate the U.S. economy as poor, while just seven percent (7%) think it’s good or excellent. Golden State voters are evenly divided over whether the economy is improving: 36% say it’s getter better, while 35% say it’s getting worse. Twenty-five percent (25%) believe it’s staying about the same.

“Any incumbent who polls below 50% at this point in the season is considered potentially vulnerable,” noted Scott Rasmussen, president of Rasmussen Reports. “However, vulnerable incumbents still have the power of their office and still have a decent chance of winning. The Democratic leaning political gravity of California will certainly give Senator Boxer a boost in that effort.”

(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.

Boxer leads former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina by just three points, 46% to 43%. In November, Boxer was also at the 46% level of support but led Fiorina by nine points.

The longtime Democratic senator runs best right now against state Assemblyman Chuck Devore, beating him by six points, 46% to 40%. Two months ago, though, she posted a 10-point lead on DeVore, 49% to 39%.

As for Campbell, the ex-congressman and former state finance director who on Thursday quit the governor’s race to jump into the Senate contest, Boxer leads him by just four points, 46% to 42%.

In all three races, less than five percent (5%) of voters prefer some other candidate and no more than 10% are undecided.

The fact that Boxer’s support is frozen at 46% against all GOP challengers suggest that the race for now is about her rather than those running against her.

Men favor any of the Republicans by double digits over Boxer, while women prefer the incumbent by similar margins. Voters not affiliated with either party like the Republican candidates by anywhere from nine to 14 points.

California is battling perhaps the most severe state budget crisis in the country, and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is seeking several billion dollars in government bailout help to avoid laying off public workers and cutting deep into social services. But just 27% of voters nationwide believe the federal government should provide bailout funding for California. Fifty-five percent (55%) think the federal government should let the state go bankrupt instead.

Boxer is viewed very favorably by 25% of California voters but very unfavorably by 34%.

For Fiorina, very favorables total nine percent (9%) and very unfavorables 16%. Four percent (4%) have a very favorable opinion of DeVore, while 10% regard him very unfavorably.

The numbers for these three candidates are little changed from November.

Newcomer Campbell is rated very favorably by 14% and very unfavorably by nine percent (9%).

At this point in a campaign, Rasmussen Reports considers the number of people with a strong opinion more significant than the total favorable/unfavorable numbers.

Boxer is seeking a fourth six-year Senate term this November. She served 10 years in the House prior to be electing to the Senate in 1992.