Professor Neely: Trump Candidacy Affects Other Republican Campaigns in California

SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS -- Trump is extraordinarily unpopular in California, even for a Republican in the famously liberal state. Nearly seven in 10 California voters view Trump unfavorably, according to a Field Poll conducted last month. More than half said they hold a “very unfavorable” view of him. Four years ago, 53 percent of Californians viewed Republican nominee Mitt Romney unfavorably. Linking Republican legislative candidates with Trump can help sow negative feelings among voters that might ultimately affect their decisions at the polls, said Francis Neely, an associate professor of Political Science at San Francisco State University. “When voters don’t know a lot about a contest and don’t know a lot about the candidates running, they’ll rely on whatever cues they can,” Neely said.