STEVE COOLEY LEADS SF DA HARRIS IN AG RACE, NEW POLL SAYS

Embattled San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris, whose quest for the job of California’s top prosecutor has been plagued by her opposition to the death penalty for cop killers and a subpar trial conviction rate now has something else standing in her path to the Attorney General’s Office: A new poll, giving her Republican opponent Steve Cooley a clear lead in the race.

A separate, earlier poll gave Cooley, the Republican Los Angeles County District Attorney, a small marginal lead over Harris, the Democratic District Attorney for San Francisco County.

The Field Poll had Cooley ahead of Harris by three percent, with Cooley at 37 percent and Harris at 34 percent.

But second poll conducted by Hill Research Associates July 10-12 gives Cooley a seven percent lead. The results showed Cooley with 41 percent and Harris with 34 percent, and also projected Cooley as the leader in all media markets except San Francisco.

The death penalty remains a key point of contrast between the candidates, with Cooley for and Harris opposed. Over 70 percent of Calif. voters continue to support the death penalty, which Harris has said she is personally against, and which she has consistantly refused to seek when it was up to her as San Francisco District Attorney--even for cop killers.

In 2009, Harris came under fire when her office decided not to seek the death penalty for triple-murderer and illegal alien Edwin Ramos, who shot three men, a father and his two sons, to death. Harris was also criticized in 2004 for refusing to seek the death penalty in the killing of a 29-year-old San Francisco police officer by a gang member.

The feeling in the law enforcement community is that cop killers are among the most dangerous of offenders, and taking the death penalty off of the table for cop killers endangers officer’s lives.

Harris has also come under fire for having the worst trial conviction rate in the state, with an accused murder in San Francisco having a 50% chance of acquittal if he decides to make Harris’ office prove the case at trial.

However, Harris has strong support from the DNC, listing $636,603 cash on hand with Cooley reporting just $222,729 as of May 22, 2010. So don't count the anti-death penalty conviction rate challanged SF DA out of the race just yet.