With the California gubernatorial general election formally underway, a new Field Poll finds

Democrat Jerry Brown holding a statistically insignificant one-point lead – 44% to 43% – over

Republican Meg Whitman in this state’s upcoming November election.

The closeness of the race is also reflected in the nearly equivalent, mixed image ratings that voters

give to the two gubernatorial candidates. About four in ten likely voters now hold positive

impressions of each candidate, while about four in ten others hold negative views. The current

findings represent a further sag in voter attitudes toward Brown, who possessed a two-to-one

favorable image with voters last year.