New Poll Signals Trouble For California Gov. Gavin Newsom

New Poll Signals Trouble For California Gov. Gavin Newsom

Laurel Duggan on March 24, 2022

Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s approval rating dropped significantly over recent months, according to the results of a new poll.

Only 50% of likely California voters said they approved of Newsom’s job performance as of March, according to a Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) poll. The same PPIC poll found Newsom had a 57% approval rating among likely California voters in January.

Newsom is up for reelection Nov. 8 after surviving a recall election in September 2021.

California voters’ apparent frustration with Democrats also extended to President Joe Biden, who saw his approval rating fall from 49% to 46% among likely voters in California between January and March, the poll found.

Newsom’s office did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.

California’s crime rate surged in recent years, with the homicide rate rising 30% in 2020 and another 17% in major cities in 2021, according to a PPIC analysis. Los Angeles Sheriff Alex Villanueva pointed to a 94% spike in homicides and a 59% jump in car thefts when he slammed Democratic leaders in January for failing to address rising violent crime.

Polls indicate that the majority of voters, including 64% of Democrats, support the recall of San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin, who promised to stop prosecuting certain low-level crimes. Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon is also facing a recall effort.

PPIC’s March poll surveyed 1,203 likely voters and had a 5.2% margin of error, and its January poll surveyed 1,048 likely voters with a 4.6% margin of error.