Governor Gavin Newsom giving second inaugural address on January 6, 2023 (Photo: gov.ca.gov)
Poll: Nearly 60% Of Californians Say Gov. Newsom Should Not Run For President
42.4% of Californians also disapprove of his job performance
By Evan Symon, April 18, 2025 1:06 pm
In a new Inside California Politics/Emerson College poll released on Thursday, nearly 60% of Californian voters said that Governor Gavin Newsom should not run for President in 2028.
According to the poll, which questioned 1,000 registered voters last week, 58.7% of voters said that Newsom shouldn’t run for president, with only 41.3% saying that he should. Similarly, Newsom’s overall approval rating was also low, with only 33.4% of voters approving of his job, with 42.4% disapproving. Nearly a quarter, 24.1%, were neutral with no opinion.
As only 25.7% of respondents voted for Donald Trump in the 2024 election and only 23.9% said they were Republican, the poll indicated that a large number of independents and Democrats are currently not on Newsom’s side.
“The results are not too surprising considering given Newsom’s approval/disapproval rating in this poll—which is significantly lower than his 42 percent-40 percent approval/disapproval rating in a February poll from Emerson,” said Emerson College Polling senior director Matt Taglia on Friday. “There’s clearly something driving negative sentiment. President Trump has seen a similar decline in job approval between these two California polls as well.
“Governor Newsom obviously cannot control all of these factors directly, but with voters looking for someone to blame, he and the president are natural targets. With all of this in mind, it’s no surprise there’s limited appetite in California for Newsom as a presidential candidate. That could easily change as his tenure as governor comes to a close, and as the Trump administration continues to push its policy agenda. His response to the administration, and to issues closer to home, will likely drive sentiment towards him in the state.”
For years, Gov. Newsom has been widely speculated to be preparing a run for the White House. Following the replacement of Joe Biden with then-Vice President Kamala Harris last year as the Democratic candidate in the 2024 election, Newsom seemed to shift completely to running in 2028. This became all the more apparent following Harris’ loss to Donald Trump in November, as the Democratic ticket wouldn’t have an incumbent President on it. Recent signs of a likely run have included an increasing number of fundraisers, Newsom moving back to Marin County from Sacramento, Newsom planning to release his memoirs, and him starting up a second, more-political oriented podcast.
Newsom in 2028
However, as the newest poll confirmed on Thursday, a high percentage of unpopularity and voters generally not liking him have plagued him since the beginning of the decade. While numbers fluctuate, the percentage of Californians who disapprove of him since 2020 has hovered between 35% to 50%, while favorable percentages have only been in the 20%-35% range. Since the 2024 election, Newsom has seen some favorable peaks in some polls, with a few spiking relatively high.
Those seem to be anomalies however, as proven by Thursday’s poll, as well as the fact that a recall attempt against him is currently in the signature gathering phase. A large number of voters have even said that his podcast is actively harming perception of him.
Other recent polls covering potential 2028 Democratic candidates have also found that Newsom is far below other candidates in terms of popularity. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer have all polled on par with or ahead of Newsom, as well as Harris, in recent months.
For Newsom, the scary part is that, if the figures hold, he could very well lose the early California Democratic primary in 2028 to another candidate. Not only would he get the stigma of losing his own state, but California is by far the most valuable for both parties in terms of final delegate count. 58.7% of Californians don’t want him to run for President. It doesn’t bode well.
The poll should be a wake up call for Newsom. He’s doing a lot of things wrong. And if he continues doing this, he may miss out on the Democratic nomination once again.
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Now this is one poll I would have liked to be a part of. I bet that 60% percent would be increased if they polled many of us readers of the Globe.
I doubt Newsom would self reflect and rethink his bid for presidency.
Yes indeed, One Fed Up Cali Girl. A poll that correctly samples Californians would probably show that this is another 80/20 issue. Being on the wrong side again would make absolutely no difference to this dirt-bag governor or his 20% TDS-afflicted supporters.
In bold homage, I think this emperor will eventually apply purple face paint, when publicly addressing his sponsors.
Newsom needs to be hauled before a tribunal and be held accountable for his many crimes against humanity. He and his wretched soul have a lot to account for!
The fact that 41% said Newsom should run for President just shows you uninformed and completely blind voters are in this state. Isn’t it pretty obvious Newsom is doing an abominable job as Governor? We have homeless encampments all over the place. We have boarded up storefronts and empty office buildings. The roads are completely falling apart. We have smash and grab robberies almost every day. We have massive destruction from powerline fires. What more evidence do you need?
Only 42% disapprove of his performance as Governor? What is wrong with 58% of Californians?
I will be a contrarian here. I don’t see a downside to him running. In an honest election (coming soon due to Trump and Co.) he will lose biggly which will be the end of his political career. His campaign will be a farce which will further reveal the lies he has told and the idiotic insanity of the left. Let him take the Demonrat party down the toilet with him!
I see his running as a big win for the country and conservatives.
He missed his chance. The push is on to require ID at time of registration to prove you A: exist, and B: are entitled to vote.
Lastly the silence from the federal government about our annoying tendency to have billions vanish into God only knows where, may indicate a serious investigation.
they will pull their favorite thing to do. ballot fraud harvesting. that’s what commie rat parasites do.
Hmmm- Although I agree with all the previous comments, I think the leading candidates, like AOC or Jasmine Crockett, are too extreme, or too associated with hiding Biden, or are just bad campaigners like Kamala, and that Newsom thinks he has a chance in the “moderate” lane. Gretchen Whitmer hiding her face in the Oval Office last week was her kiss of death. Newsom’s real rivals are Pritzker and Shapiro. From Newsom’s POV he is prettier and more photogenic than either. should that be the basis for a presidential campaign? No, but that’s not the way Newsom thinks.
Agree, given that we’ve proven time and again that Newsom suffers from extreme malignant narcissism syndrome, in addition to his dyslexia.
I think that Newsom running for president could be savagely hilarious with all the destruction and pillage he’s brought to California lampooned in front of the whole nation. A Newsom lookalike could be “interviewed” blathering about how nude transgender skydiving over Sacramento has brought immense wealth to the average Californian while a homeless person comes on scene, takes a dump on Newsom’s shoes, starts a brush fire, shoots up and then passes out. He could be somewhere in the arctic circle, wearing a Chilly Willy beanie, droning on about fighting climate change, the scene cuts to a miles long line of California cars waiting to fuel up at the first gas station in Arizona – then the camera cuts back to Newsom being mauled by a polar bear. Or Newsom could be lecturing about how compassion and equity has made California safer while in the background a mostly peacefull horde is looting stores and setting the block on fire in the midst of a gang banger shootout complete with heavy machine guns, rpgs and hand grenades, then Newsom gets carjacked on the way out. In an interview he could announce Scott Weiner as his running mate while a train wreck occurs in the background. The possibilities for well deserved ridicule are endless…
As for the train wreck, Newsom turns to look, then turns back to the camera and babbles, with all apparent sincerity, something about about a train company crew just arrived to do track maintenence in the same efficient way California government goes about running the state.
While Newsom fades into irrelevance and CA Republicans once again attempt to mount a bound to fail “recall election” wasting tens of millions on a huugely flawed recall system (the entire statute needs to be rewritten)…the sad truth is the Repubs are so disorganized that even when they DO run a candidate for governor they havent got the funds to market them! Ask 20 people you know: “Who was the Republican candidate who ran against Newsom in the last election?” You will be lucky to find ONE who can tell you! Luckily there is one CA Republican who isnt afraid to give Dems hell and Newsom in particular and that is Congressman Kevin Kiley of Rocklin. Hes kicking Newsoms butt and has my vote for CA governor!
We can only hope that Gav runs for president so ALL of his destructive policies and wasteful spending of taxpayer dollars can be on full display for the whole USA, and hopefully the world, to see. The good people of California will look like complete idiots for having (mostly fraudulently) elected him and the other unqualified democrats in power, but it will be worth it to see him go down in flames.