Poll: Peters, DeMaio in virtual dead-heat

SAN DIEGO (CNS) – The race for a San Diego-area congressional seat held by Rep. Scott Peters, D-San Diego, is a dead-heat, according to results of a poll released Tuesday.

The survey found former Councilman Carl DeMaio — a Republican — with a 46-45 lead over the incumbent in a sampling of more than 600 likely voters in the Nov. 4 general election.

SurveyUSA called 650 registered voters who live in the 52nd Congressional District between Friday and Monday, and 10 percent were undecided.

The campaign, which is being watched nationally, has been punctuated with accusations that DeMaio masturbated in front of a former staffer, and that backers of Peters got a DeMaio “playbook” allegedly taken by vandals in a break-in earlier this year.

On Monday, District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis said there wasn’t enough evidence for charges in the break-in or sexual harassment investigations.

DeMaio Tuesday touted an endorsement from former Veterans Affairs Secretary Anthony Principi and announced a three-point plan to reform Veterans Affairs.

His plan includes having regional managers oversee all operations in a given area, instead of the current system of managers being accountable for their lone department.

Also, he would give raises based on merit and bring aboard civilian auditors and efficiency experts.

Peters later issued a statement to remind voters that he helped write a bipartisan bill to reform the VA, with the goal of making healthcare for accessible and affordable.

The VA was criticized for medical care backlogs that caused some veterans to die before being treated.