NBCUniversal Poll: Exclusive to Haute-Lifestyle.com: Californians Rank Economy as Top Issue Before Primary

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Nearly three-quarters of likely California voters say the economy and jobs are among the most important issues in deciding their vote ahead of the June 7 presidential primary, according to a USC Schwarzenegger Institute/Field Poll.

The poll, which was shared exclusively to NBC News, finds that Democratic and Republican primary voters care almost equally about the economy and jobs: 73 percent of Democrats and 77 percent of Republicans say they are among their most important issues in deciding their vote.

But that is where the similarities between the parties mostly end.

The most important issues among Democrats:

  • Economy and jobs: 73 percent
  • Education: 73 percent
  • Ensuring clean air and water: 73 percent
  • Health care: 70 percent
  • Equal pay for women: 66 percent
  • Keeping the U.S. out of war: 65 percent
  • Social Security: 64 percent

The most important issues among Republicans:

  • Terrorist threat/protecting the homeland: 81 percent
  • Economy and jobs: 77 percent
  • Reducing the deficit/size of government: 75 percent
  • Social Security: 61 percent
  • Supreme Court appointments: 61 percent
  • Immigration: 58 percent
  • Health care: 58 percent

On June 7, California Democrats will go to the polls to choose between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders in the state's presidential primary, while GOP presumptive nominee Donald Trump is the last Republican standing in that race.

With the state also holding its Senate primary on June 7 -- to replace retiring Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif. -- the poll finds a majority of likely voters preferring a candidate who wants to make compromise.

Sixty-nine percent of all likely California voters want a candidate willing to make compromises to get legislation passed, versus 27 percent who want a candidate who will hold true to his or her beliefs.

The USC Schwarzenegger Institute for State and Global Policy/Field Poll was conducted May 4-11 among 1,001 likely voters for California's upcoming June 7 presidential primary, and it has an overall margin of error of plus-minus 3.2 percentage points.

MANDATORY CREDIT: NBC NEWS

Image courtesy of NBCUniversal News and used with permission