Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman has built a massive edge over her GOP rival Steve Poizner while taking a narrow lead over likely Democratic nominee Jerry Brown, according to results released today by the nonpartisan Field Poll.

Her move is a major feat in a state where Democratic voters far outnumber Republicans.

Whitman won the support of 63 percent of likely Republican primary voters while Poizner was backed by only 14 percent, with Whitman's lead growing by 21 percentage-points since the Field Poll last surveyed voters in January.

Whitman also overtook Brown in a possible general election matchup, winning the support of 46 percent of likely voters compared with Brown's 43 percent, the poll found. Brown had led Whitman by 10 percentage points in the January poll and by 21 points in October.

Whitman has gained momentum as she's blanketed the state in TV ads touting her decade-long tenure as CEO of the online auction firm eBay and listing reasons "why we can't trust Steve Poizner."

Poizner, another former Silicon Valley CEO, debuted his first and only ad last month, while Brown has stayed off the airwaves and not appeared in campaign events. Brown, a former governor of California and current attorney general, has counted on his high name recognition among state voters to boost his chances.

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