Democrat Jerry Brown Sits in the Catbird Seat

SAN FRANCISCO (CN) - Democrat Jerry Brown leads both top Republican challengers in the race for governor, and the race for the GOP nomination in the June primary is tightening up, the Public Policy Institute of California said in a report Wednesday night. Meg Whitman's lead over Steve Poizner has sunk by 23 points since March and she leads by 38 to 29 percent, with 31 percent undecided, according to the PPIC.

Whitman led Poizner among likely Republican voters in March by 61 to 11 percent, with 25 percent undecided, the PPIC reported.

The Republican primary for Senate is also close, with Carly Fiorina leading Tom Campbell by 25 to 23 percent among likely voters - a statistical nonentity, due to the margin of error.

The PPIC reports strong support for Prop. 14, which would change the primary election process so that the top two vote-getters, regardless of party, would advance to the general election.

Sixty percent of likely voters support it, the PPIC said.

For the general election, the PPIC reports that Jerry Brown leads Whitman by 42 to 37 percent among likely voters, and leads Poizner by 45 to 32 percent.

The nationally watched November ballot issue of whether to legalize marijuana is too close to call - 48 percent in favor and 49 opposed, according to the report.

A majority of white voters support legalization, while most Latinos oppose it, the PPIC reported.

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