California voters were most concerned about the economy and the Iraq war when they went to the polls in Tuesday’s primary elections, a survey of likely voters by the UC Riverside Survey Research Center found.

In both parties, more than one in three voters spontaneously named the economy as an issue they want to hear candidates address, said Martin Johnson, associate professor of political science and co-director of the Survey Research Center. The Iraq war is also a preoccupation, he said. Immigration and border issues, and health care ranked third and fourth among all voters.

The findings suggest an end to values politics, said Shaun Bowler, professor and chair of the UCR Political Science Department.

“We heard a lot about this in previous elections, but these are nowhere to be seen in an election dominated by bread-and-butter issues of jobs, national security and health care,” he said. “Christian conservative groups can see very little here to be optimistic about in terms of having their agenda continue to dominate the discourse.”

Consequently, if John McCain becomes the Republican nominee for president, the appointment of Mike Huckabee as a running mate will not help McCain much in California, but Mitt Romney may, Bowler said.

On the top four issues cited by likely voters – the economy, the war and national security, immigration and border issues, and health care – Hillary Clinton is advantaged by the health care issue, Johnson said.

“Differences between (Barack) Obama and Clinton on this issue alone do not explain her success in the state, but it appears to be part of the story,” he said. “They appear evenly matched with California voters interested in other major issues.”

McCain holds clear advantages on the economy and the war, Johnson said. “If Romney could have turned this campaign into a referendum on immigration and McCain’s past commitments on the issue, he may well have fared better here and in other western states on Tuesday.”

“The link between the economic downturn and anti-immigrant sentiment is a known one, which means inside the GOP it is something of a double-edged sword for McCain,” Bowler said. “On the one hand he clearly appeals to Republicans worried about the economy, but clearly does not have appeal on immigration. As the economy worsens and as concerns about immigration rise, McCain's apparent advantage on economic issues will likely shrink, offset by his relatively liberal stance on immigration.”

Gender issues were significant for candidates in both parties, the political scientists said.

McCain's appeal to women is striking, Bowler said.

“People are preoccupied with gender in the Democratic primary, but they might be missing a gender gap on the Republican side,” Johnson said. “McCain is so much stronger among Romney among the women we surveyed.”

Read the complete press release at http://www.newsroom.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/display.cgi?id=1768. To receive a copy of the report, contact Bettye Miller at (951) 927-7847 or bettye.miller@ucr.edu.