Despite winning reelection with 59% of the vote less than six months ago, Californians are not enthusiastic about a potential Gavin Newsom presidency.
A recent poll of 1,091 voters in the state conducted by Quinnipiac University revealed that seven out of 10 do not wish for the governor to run for president. Of those polled, less than a quarter are supportive of the idea.
Even when looking solely at Democratic voters, a majority (54%) do not want Newsom to seek the highest office in the country, with only 35% supporting the idea of a Newsom White House.
Polling analyst for Quinnipiac University, Tim Malloy, says the results are overwhelmingly against a Newsom candidacy in the next presidential race.
“A resounding thumbs down from the home team as California voters tell the governor: if you have designs on the big job beyond Sacramento, we’re not on board,” Malloy said in a statement.
The issue of Newsom’s run may be a moot point. So far, the California governor has insisted he has no plans to run for the White House.
In the past, Newsom has inserted himself into national politics, helping fuel speculation that he may eventually announce his candidacy.
Newsom has previously attacked Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), a potential GOP presidential contender. Newsom even ran ads in DeSantis’ home state of Florida in July 2022, denouncing the governor.
The California governor also demanded that the Justice Department prosecute Florida and Texas for transporting illegal immigrants to other states.
As reported by The Dallas Express, Governor Greg Abbott has sent thousands of migrants to other states amid an ongoing crisis along the state’s southern border, forcing some counties in Texas to declare a “local state of disaster.”
In 2021, California voters took to the polls to vote on recalling the governor. In the end, Newsom easily won, with 60% of ballots landing in his favor.
Despite solid support over the years, Newsom has faced an increasingly frustrated constituency as costs in the state have ballooned.
In November 2022, Newsom broke the news to Californians that the state faced a $25 billion budget shortfall, despite previously boasting about a $100 billion surplus.
To help address the deficit, Newsom proposed cutbacks to progressive initiatives, like removing $5.7 billion in support for climate change proposals. The proposal was announced amid weeks of storms that caused devastating floods in the state.
For many of Newsom’s supporters, projects addressing climate change are directly related to solving the issues of natural disasters in the state, like the recent floods.
Speaking to the Los Angeles Times, IGS Poll Director Mark DiCamillo said that eventually, every governor faces what Newsom is experiencing.
“It’s true of every governor: When you start having to cut back on the budget, that’s usually a time when voters get more critical of you,” he said, the Washington Examiner reported.
“Now, we haven’t gotten there yet. But that’s why we say there’s clouds on the horizon,” DiCamillo said.
