As former Rep. Doug Ose and State Senator Tom McClintock battle it out for the Republican nomination to succeed retiring Rep. John Doolittle today, a new survey for their soon-to-be Democratic rival shows what is likely to be a second difficult race for anyone campaigning in the suburban Sacramento district.

The poll, conducted by Benenson Strategy Group for former Air Force pilot Charlie Brown's campaign, was taken 5/14-15 and surveyed 400 likely general election voters for a margin of error of +/- 5%. Brown, Ose and McClintock were tested.

General Election Matchup
(All / Dem / GOP / Ind)
Brown.............38 / 62 / 19 / 48
Ose.................34 / 12 / 51 / 28

Brown.............42 / 65 / 22 / 53
McClintock.......40 / 13 / 61 / 32

Generic Dem...43 / 78 / 17 / 50
Generic GOP...43 / 7 / 70 / 34

That Brown leads both is cause for Democratic celebration, but his slim overall advantages, especially given his big boosts among independent voters, exhibit the Republican nature of the seat. Even under an ethical cloud, Doolittle won his final term in 2006 by a small but decisive margin. Brown will need a lot of help and continued Republican stumbles to pull off a win in November.

Brown is viewed well by the district's electorate; 36% view him favorably while 18% see him unfavorably. McClintock is more popular, though his negatives are higher as well, at 39% to 29%. Ose, who represented a neighboring district and who has been hammered by the Club for Growth, which backs his GOP rival, s seen favorably by just 27% while 28% view him unfavorably.