Dean Now Leads In California Polling

Presidential candidate Howard Dean -- buoyed by Internet campaigning and strong word-of-mouth among grassroots voters -- has rocketed to the top of the Democratic pack in crucial California, a new Field Poll released Monday showed.

The former Vermont governor has more than doubled his support since April, to 16 percent among likely Democratic voters. Dean is closely followed by Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry with 15 percent, and Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman -- touring the Bay Area Tuesday -- with 14 percent. Missouri Rep. Dick Gephardt -- who plans a major foreign policy speech before the Bar Association of San Francisco today, has only 7 percent of Democratic support in the state, while North Carolina Sen. John Edwards posted the lowest showing of any of the major candidates, with just 4 percent of the party's support.

Among Democrats considered to be second-tier candidates, Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich is tied with Florida Sen. Bob Graham and the Rev. Al Sharpton with 3 percent, and former U.S. Sen. Carol Mosley Braun posted 2 percent.

Just 46 percent of the voters of California were inclined to re-elect the president, the poll showed -- numbers that appear to mirror those of his father in the months leading up to the 1992 election.