Schwarzenegger widens lead in Calif. governor race

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has widened his lead over his Democratic gubernatorial rival, according to two polls released on Wednesday. One survey puts him 17 percentage points ahead.

A Public Policy Institute of California survey of 2,003 adult residents between Sept. 13 and 20 found 48 percent favoring the Hollywood action star to 31 percent for State Treasurer Phil Angelides in the November election. The survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percent.

The 17-point difference compares with a 13-point spread between the two men in both July and August.

A separate Field Poll survey of 557 likely voters conducted from Sept. 14 to 24 found 44 percent favoring the Republican incumbent, compared to 34 percent for the Harvard-educated former real estate developer Angelides.

In July, 45 percent said they favored Schwarzenegger, compared to 37 percent for his opponent.

Since February, when the Field Poll showed the two men in a tie, Schwarzenegger has won over some voters by working more closely with Democrats and taking a less confrontational approach than in 2005, when he lost a special initiative election he called.

Of concern for Angelides supporters were Field Poll results showing that just 61 percent of Democrats supported their candidate for the state's highest office. The Public Policy Institute of California survey showed his Democratic support at 57 percent.

Democrats are the strongest party in California, making it difficult for a Republican to win state elections without support from independents and Democrats.

The Field Poll, which had a sampling error of plus or minus 4.3 percentage points, also showed a strong gender gap among those surveyed, with 51 of men favoring Schwarzenegger, the star of the "Terminator" films and a former bodybuilding champion, against 29 percent favoring Angelides.

Among women surveyed, however, 39 percent favored Angelides compared to 36 percent for Schwarzenegger.

In an interview this week, Angelides said he was hoping a wave of sentiment against President George W. Bush would help him overtake Schwarzenegger and win the November election.