Donald Trump appears on the NBC "Today" television program in New York on April 21. | AP Pho


Poll: Trump winning big in California

By Shane Goldmacher
04/21/16 02:03 PM EDT

Ted Cruz called California "the big enchilada” on Wednesday and said it would be the state that ultimately decides the Republican nomination. But a new poll from Capitol Weekly/Sextant Strategies shows Donald Trump in a dominant position across the state.

The results, provided to POLITICO, show Trump leading statewide with 41 percent of the vote and Cruz trailing far behind with 23 percent. John Kasich is in third with 21 percent, and 15 percent of Republicans said they remain undecided.

California is worth 172 delegates when it votes on June 7 — with the winner of each of the state’s 53 congressional districts receiving three delegates. The statewide winner receives 13 delegates.
The Capitol Weekly/Sextant Strategies poll shows Trump winning in almost every corner of the state, from San Diego and Orange County to northern California and the Bay Area, though some regions have small sample sizes.

Cruz performs strongest in the Central Valley, as he has in previous surveys, though he still trails Trump there by 7 percentage points, 35 percent to 28 percent. Trump leads in the liberal Bay Area, but it is Kasich who nudges above Cruz into second place, trailing Trump 39 percent to 25 percent.

Trump’s strongest region is the Inland Empire of southern California, where he hits 49 percent support.

Trump scores best among older voters, winning those 55 and over with 43 percent, and weaker among younger voters.