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Democratic Poll: GOP Rep. Mimi Walters in Competitive Race

Democrat Katie Porter’s poll shows her in a tight contest in California’s 45 district

Democrat Katie Porter is running against GOP Rep. Mimi Walters in California’s 45th District. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)
Democrat Katie Porter is running against GOP Rep. Mimi Walters in California’s 45th District. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)

A poll from California Republican Rep. Mimi Walters’ Democratic opponent Katie Porter found a competitive race in the 45th District in Southern California. 

The 45th is a Democratic target this cycle, one of seven GOP-held House seats in the Golden State that Hillary Clinton carried in 2016.

Walters led Porter 45 percent to 44 percent in the poll after voters were told the candidates’ party affiliations and ballot designation, according to a polling memo shared first with Roll Call. The poll had a 4.4 point margin of error.

The ballot designation is a description California candidates can choose to accompany their names on the ballot. Porter’s designation for the primary was “consumer protection attorney” while Walters’ noted she was the U.S. representative for the district.

Walters had a 38 percent favorability rating, the poll found, and 39 percent of those surveyed gave President Donald Trump a favorable rating. Porter had 40 percent name recognition, despite a heated primary in the district in which four Democrats competed for the chance to face Walters. 

The poll, which was conducted by Global Strategy Group, surveyed 600 likely voters, including an oversample of 100 No Party Preference voters, via live telephone interviews with a mix of landline and mobile phones. The survey was conducted from July 26-31. 

Clinton carried the Orange County-based 45th District by 5 points in 2016, and she was the first Democratic presidential nominee to carry the county since 1936. That success has put the traditionally Republican area in play this election cycle, with Democrats also targeting three other seats that touch the county. 

Porter was at a financial disadvantage at the end of the most recent fundraising quarter. She had $781,000 in her campaign coffers at June 30 compared to Walters’ $1.5 million.

Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales rates the race Leans Republican

Watch: No More Blue Wave Metaphors, 2018 Is About Too Many GOP Fires

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