Two internal Democratic polls released today offered the party good news in both defensive and offensive territory in California.

In the Palm Springs-based 36th district, the campaign of physician Raul Ruiz (D) released a poll that found him ahead of Rep. Mary Bono Mack (R), 46 percent to 43 percent, with 9 percent undecided. The poll also offered this encouraging sign: President Barack Obama led Republican nominee Mitt Romney by 5 points.

The poll of 406 likely voters was conducted by Democratic firm Lake Research Partners from Oct. 2-4. The margin of error was 4.9 points.

Farther north, in the 9th district, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s independent expenditure unit released a poll that found Rep. Jerry McNerney ahead of Republican challenger Ricky Gill, 47 percent to 38 percent. Obama also led in the district, 52 percent to 41 percent.

This comes about two weeks after Gill’s campaign released a poll showing the two in a statistical tie, with Gill ahead 46 percent to 45 percent. That poll was conducted by the Tarrance Group on behalf of Gill’s campaign and the National Republican Congressional Committee.

The DCCC IE poll was conducted by Global Strategy Group from Oct. 8-10 among 400 likely voters, and it had a 4.9-point margin of error.