Poll shows voters want Peter Camejo in upcoming debates

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Contact: Cres Vellucci, Camejo Campaign press secretary 916.996-9170


Poll shows voters, especially poor and young,
want Green Party candidate Peter Camejo
in upcoming gubernatorial debates

SACRAMENTO – Although the only gubernatorial debate so far only includes
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Democrat Phil Angelides, a nonpartisan
opinion poll released Thursday shows that as many as 63 percent of likely
voters with an opinion favor the inclusion of Green Party gubernatorial
candidate Peter Camejo in any debate.

The poll, conducted by Pulse Opinion Research and commissioned by the
Mexican American Political Association, is the first 2006 survey asking
likely voters who they would want to see in a gubernatorial debate. All
candidates were included in the poll.

"This poll shows that the two corporate-funded candidates who fill the
airwaves with tens of millions of dollars in advertising, and receive the
bulk of news coverage are not the only candidates Californians want to
hear. To deny voters their wishes by excluding me from debates in
undemocratic," said Camejo at a news conference at the State Capitol.

Camejo, who was considered, in surveys of news media and public, the winner
of the 2003 recall election debates, noted that once Canada changes its
electoral laws, the U.S. will be "the last advanced industrial nation with
an openly undemocratic electoral system."

Overall, the poll indicates Camejo was the only third party candidate to
receive an overall positive rating – logging a 44 percent "yes" to 26
percent "no" result when voters were asked if he should be in the debates.
Other non-major party candidates had as many or more people opposed to them
being in debates as supported their inclusion.

Camejo's strongest support came from Independents (55-16 percent),
Democrats (50-16 percent), the poor (64-16 percent) and youth (55-11
percent). Voters with children and women also polled heavily for Camejo.
Only Republicans and the wealthy opposed him.

The poll comes on the heels of a report by the Public Policy Institute of
California Wednesday which showed that while the state's diversity has
grown, whites represent 72 percent of voters, while 63 percent of Latinos
are not registered. Camejo is the only Latino gubernatorial candidate.

Complete results of the poll are available upon request.