Schwarzenegger Surges in Poll

Arnold Schwarzenegger has jumped past Democrat Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante in California's gubernatorial race, according to a poll released today.

The survey by Public Policy Institute of California, like earlier independent polls by other organizations, found that most of the likely voters support the ouster of Gov. Gray Davis in the Oct. 7 recall election.

"Given their frustration, it is understandable that Californians would be captivated by the recall campaign," said survey director Mark Baldassare.

The poll found that Schwarzenegger won support from 23 percent of likely voters, compared with Bustamante's 18 percent. Schwarzenegger trailed Bustamante in a Field Poll last week.

The telephone survey of 993 likely voters, conducted between Aug. 8 and Sunday, found that: