New Poll Results: Newsom’s Ambition Trumps California’s Needs
Public Survey Shows Most Voters Displeased with Newsom’s Focus on National Profile Over State Governance
A 2025 April 21-28 poll of the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies, co-sponsored by the Los Angeles Times, reveals voter disillusionment with Governor Gavin Newsom. The Times reports that his approval rating is pretty low, 46%, with an equal share of those surveyed disapproving—a precipitous drop from Jerry Brown's 61% at a similar time. This reflects Newsom's failure to rectify California's crises while he quasi-runs for president.
The survey finds that 54% of voters think Newsom cares more about his national image than state concerns, and only 26% think he cares about California. His showboating—sparring with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and suing over President Trump's tariffs—only adds to the impression. Voters are split on whether he can take on Trump's administration, with 48% sure and 45% doubtful, reflecting wider discontent: 52% say California is headed in the wrong direction.
Ironically, Newsom now presents himself as a less-liberal "adult in the room" Democrat despite a hyper-progressive track record. He's signed a budget providing Medi-Cal coverage for illegal aliens for $8.4 billion of state money, and we cannot ignore his quixotic, sweeping climate taxes and regulations. But, in his new podcast, "This Is Gavin Newsom," he had Turning Point USA's Charlie Kirk on and declared it "deeply unfair" for biological men to compete in women's sports based on "fairness." This is a departure from his advocacy of policies such as AB 1266, which permits transgender athletes to compete according to gender identity, and his refusal to support legislation to stop this practice. This cynical flip is redolent of a 2028 presidential maneuver, turning off progressives and not persuading conservatives.
California is besieged by a $37.9 billion deficit, out-of-control crime, epidemic homelessness, and an affordable housing crisis. Newsom's national celebrity ego has permitted these crises to brew, eroding the public's trust. His podcast posturing and picking-and-choosing moderation cannot cover his neglect of the state's interests. The public speaks truth to it—the voter sees through the charade—a governor shifting his eye towards the White House and away from the complex realities of Sacramento. The more Newsom seems to have one foot out of the Governor's Mansion, the less popular he will be with Californians.