California Governor Gavin Newsom’s approval rating has been hit during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a few new investigations, which could be a “warning” to the governor just as the recall against him intensifies.
A poll by the Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies released Tuesday showed Newsom’s approval rating of 46% among registered voters, up from 64% in September.
“The decline is fueled by the public’s much more negative assessment of how Newsom and the state government are dealing with the pandemic,” wrote Mark DiCamillo, director of the Berkeley IGS Poll.
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The registered voters surveyed, for the most part, do not think he is properly addressing the coronavirus, distributing vaccines to the public, and setting consistent rules for stay-at-home and business restrictions.
The dip in approval comes as Newsom faces a serious challenge to its political future.
FILE – In this January 8, 2021 file photo, California Governor Gavin Newsom outlines his proposal for the state budget for 2021-2022 at a press conference in Sacramento, California. About a year after the first coronavirus case in the state, Newsom’s governor has been widely praised for his quick response to a leader who has been criticized from all quarters. (AP Photo / Rich Pedroncelli, Pool, File)
Organizers of a California recall said Thursday they have collected more than 1.4 million signatures. The minister’s office must validate the signatures. The close is March 17 to collect 1,495,709 valid signatures to trigger a special election.
The voters polled in the Berkeley poll were cool in a recall, and more people thought it would be bad for the state rather than good. But when asked how they would vote in a possible special election, 45% said they would keep Newsom, 36% said they wanted to remove him, and 19% were undecided.
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“These results should be a strong warning to the governor,” said Eric Schickler, co-director of the Berkeley IGS Poll. “If the election continues, the state’s response to the pandemic should be seen as more successful for the governor than it is now for him to have confidence in the election results.”
Meanwhile, the Public Policy Institute of California poll released Tuesday found that 52% of likely voters agree with how Newsom handles its work. That’s a notable drop since May 2020, when Newsom received 64% approval for its first response to the coronavirus.
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“A majority approves of Gavin Newsom’s work as governor, while opinions of him remain deeply divided between Democratic and Republican voters,” Mark Baldassare, PPIC president and CEO, said in a statement.
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Coronavirus tops the list of concerns for Californians, followed by the economy and jobs. According to the PPIC survey, about three in four likely voters said the state is in an economic recession.