Mercury News– With 75 days to go before the June 5 primary election, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom continues to lead the field for governor, while former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has fallen into third place, overtaken by a Southern California Republican, according to a new poll.
Republican John Cox, a San Diego County businessman, was in second place, the poll by the Public Policy Institute of California found — giving hope to GOP leaders worried their party would be shut out completely in the top-two primary.
Meanwhile, Sen. Dianne Feinstein continues to hold a large lead over her main challenger, former State Senate leader Kevin de León, running ahead of him by 26 points despite the state Democratic party’s snub of her candidacy last month.
The California Right 