Former Vermont Governor Howard Dean has become the clear front-runner among Democratic presidential contenders in California. A Field Poll of registered Democratic voters released this morning says 23% would vote for Dean in the state’s March presidential primary. That’s up from 14% in July.
Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman followed with 15%, and Massachusetts Senator John Kerry placed third with 11%; 29% were undecided.
The poll also found that each of the top Democrats in the field placed even with President Bush in head-to-head matchups among registered voters. Bush received between 43-45% of the vote in each matchup, with each Democrat registering 40-45% support.