Poll: Dewey holds slight lead in 2 states
Willkie runs close second in California and Nebraska tests
By George Gallup, Director, American Institute of Public Opinion
Surveys of Republican sentiment in Nebraska and California show Governor Thomas E. Dewey holding a slight lead over Wendell Willkie in popularity as a 1944 presidential candidate.
The political tides in Nebraska are important because it is one of the states which has open presidential primaries. The situation in California holds equal interest for political leaders because of talk of Governor Earl Warren as a possible vice-presidential candidate.
The California Governor has announced his intention of entering his state’s primaries as a presidential nominee.
In gathering the views of Republican voters in California and Nebraska, each voter was handed a list of candidates and asked to name his preferred choice.
Based on those who named a Republican, the results for Nebraska are given below. The figures are not a poll of Republican leader, but the rank and file of the whole party.
The survey procedure used gives proper representation to all shades of opinion within the Republican Party – the independent Republican, as well as the more rock-ribbed Republican.
NEBRASKA
| Dewey | 35% |
| Willkie | 29% |
| MacArthur | 16% |
| Stassen | 10% |
| Bricker | 9% |
| Warren | 1% |
| Johnston | <1% |
The California survey shows the following results:
| Dewey | 32% |
| Willkie | 30% |
| Warren | 13% |
| MacArthur | 13% |
| Stassen | 6% |
| Bricker | 4% |
| Johnston | 2% |