YELLIN: One of this year's hottest U.S. Senate races is out in California. It's a seat the Democrats are desperate to keep, but a brand new poll shows it's neck and neck.

A field poll released this morning shows 47 percent of California voters support incumbent Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer, 44 percent support her Republican opponent, Karlie Fiorina. The three-point difference between the two is within the poll's sampling error.

Senator Boxer joins me now to go one-on-one. Senator, thank you so much for being with us.

SEN. BARBARA BOXER (D), CALIFORNIA: Thank you for having me on the show.

YELLIN: This same Field poll shows your unfavorability ratings have jumped to 52 percent. Why do you think more than half of California voters just don't like you?

BOXER: Well, it's not about liking. They're not happy with the economy and they shouldn't be. They want to know who's on their side.

And Jessica, I think it's important to note that in March, the Field Poll had me up by one. So we're going in the right direction.

And I also would have to say that for a year I had the three Republican candidates beating up on me every single day, plus I had the two gubernatorial Republican candidates also running ads against me because they felt it would help them in their primaries.

So I had five people for a year and I haven't even gone on television yet. So we're happy that in this poll we're winning among independents, we're winning among women, we're moving forward. We're ahead of where we were in March.

YELLIN: Well, you point out it's been an aggressive race already.

BOXER: Yes.

YELLIN: And I want to play you some sound from Carly Fiorina. I interviewed her recently when I was out in California. Listen to what she said about the mood of the California voter.

BOXER: Sure.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CARLY FIORINA (R), CALIFORNIA SENATE CANDIDATE: It appears that there's a lot of anti-incumbent sentiment, and I think it's because people are tired of professional politicians. They have figured out that people like Barbara Boxer are part of the problem, not part of the solution.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

YELLIN: Your reaction to that?

BOXER: My reaction is this is one of the clearest choices in the nation. And I'm excited about it because I've got my record, I've got 1,000 box of provisions that are now law. A lot of work on jobs.

I just got off a fabulous nine-city tour and met the workers who were actually being put to work. We've got lots more to do.

And Carly Fiorina -- she was fired as the CEO as Hewlett-Packard, laid off 30,000 workers, shipped jobs to China, and enriched herself during that time. So I think that when voters get to know who she is and they are reminded about my record, I think it's going to be good for me because it'll be good for California.

I think the voters are going to choose someone who's on their side who's going to fight for them, who has a heart because that's what this race is about.

YELLIN: Well, you talk about jobs. Since February of 2009, California has lost more than 400,000 jobs. So do you believe the president's economic policies are really working for Californians?

BOXER: This is a very, very deep recession. And as you know, our state under the leadership of Governor Schwarzenegger, has had constant terrible problems with layoffs and budget deficits, and the two sides can't get together. And they don't meet in the middle. So this is a tough time for our state.

And I have to tell you, what's important is that we are focused every single day on jobs. And I have supported every jobs bill. And in this swing that I just made around the state, I've met the workers.

I've met the workers who were saying thank you because if Carly Fiorina was in the Senate, she would've voted no on all of the jobs bills. Even she wants to repeal health care. So it's a very, very clear choice, Jessica.

YELLIN: And another major issue in your race is going to be immigration. A majority of your state supports Arizona's tough immigration law. You oppose it. Are you prepared to lose votes over this issue?

BOXER: Well, actually, more than 70 percent of the voters in California support a solution to our problem. And that is comprehensive --

YELLIN: But if I may interrupt you -- they do support the Arizona law --

BOXER: You can interrupt me but -- let me get to it, OK? They much prefer comprehensive immigration reform. And they understand that if every state decides to do their own laws, we'll be in cast.

So what they want is, they understand the frustration. And since I got to the Senate, we have four times the number of Border Patrol agents on the border. We're in control of far more of the border, but we have a lot more to do.

And here's -- here's where I'm coming from. I don't like to say we should be divided and fighting and hurtful in our policies. What I like to say is let's come together and meet in the center.

The people who were saying border control, I'm one of them, and the people who were saying let's get a reasonable pathway to legalization where people pay the fines, learn English. If they're good, hard workers, they can stay here, get to the back of the line before they're a citizen.

Let's both sides meet in the center. That's what the people of California want. They don't want division. We've had that enough in our state.

YELLIN: Before we go, Senator, I want to play something that brought you and your race a lot of probably unwanted attention. Here's something your opponent Carly Fiorina was caught saying about you on an open mike.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FIORINA: Laura saw Barbara Boxer briefly on television this morning and said what everyone says, god, what is that hair?

(LAUGHTER)

FIORINA: So yesterday. You didn't --

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

YELLIN: So, Senator, what did you think when you heard that?

BOXER: To tell you the truth, I was taken aback. And you know I'm not a loss for words very often. I called my campaign manager Rose. And I said, Rose, I'm going to be asked about this. What do you think we ought to say? I really didn't know what to say. And to watch it, I think, is important. And she said, we're just going to say let Carly Fiorina talk about hair, we're going to talk about jobs. And that's kind of the way I've handled it and tried to have a sense of humor about it, frankly. Because we've all had our bad hair days. That's for sure.

YELLIN: Were you mad?

(LAUGHTER)

BOXER: No. I was perplexed. I was stunned at it. It just seemed so silly considering the incredible issues that are at stake. Jobs and the environment. She wants to drill, baby, drill. She wants to go backwards on a woman's right to choose and repeal "Roe Versus Wade." So I was just perplexed frankly.

YELLIN: All right. One last question because we've been talking about this as the year of the woman. There are many women running in your state. And here we are talking about hair. So I'm curious, is it any different to run against a woman?

BOXER: Well, I'm not talking about hair. You brought it up.

(LAUGHTER)

YELLIN: I did.

BOXER: And Carly Fiorina brought it up. No, not at all, because we're equal. You know women are equal to men. This is what I've been fighting for my whole life. I'm glad the Republicans have finally given women a chance. It's terrific.

But I've got an opponent who is a woman and I'm a woman, and that is the same. But everything else is different. She's to the far right of the political spectrum, and I think she's out of the mainstream of California thinking.

YELLIN: All right. Senator Boxer, thank you so much for your time.

BOXER: Thanks.