Meg Whitman campaigns in Los Angeles

Republican Meg Whitman campaigned in South Gate Thursday, following a poll that indicated she trails Democrat Jerry Brown by eight points in the governor’s race.

The former eBay chief toured a company that makes metal doors, gates and fences. She spoke with workers and touted her plan to create jobs by cutting business taxes and regulations.

In a conference call with reporters, Whitman aides claimed that Brown would raise taxes to close the state’s budget deficit. Brown’s said he would only do that with voter approval, and pointed out that Whitman’s plan to eliminate the capital gains tax would make the deficit worse.

She’s countered that she’d make up for it by eliminating 40,000 state jobs and cutting welfare payments.

At a get-out-the-vote rally at San Diego State University, Brown — the current state attorney general — emphasized his support for the state’s historic greenhouse gas law. Whitman’s said the new regulations would kill jobs. She wants to suspend the measure for a year.

As the campaign enters its final stage, the Brown campaign released reports showing it has $11.6 million in the bank to spend on advertising and get-out-the-vote efforts. He has raised a total of more than $37 million.

Fundraising has been a question for the Brown campaign because he faces billionaire Republican candidate Meg Whitman, who has spent nearly $142 million of her own money. She had not yet filed her latest fundraising report.

Brown campaign manager Steve Glazer says the Democrat has enough money to be "more than competitive.''

KPCC wires contributed to this story.