Poll: Most Voters Oppose Recalling California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Breaking Heavily Along Party Lines
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Most voters appear to be opposed to the likely recall of California Gov. Gavin Newsom, according to a new poll released on Tuesday.
The Public Policy Institute of California found that only 40 percent of likely voters said they would vote to remove Newsom.
Further, support for the recall broke heavily along party lines, with 79 percent of Republican voters saying they would vote "Yes" compared to just 15 percent of Democrats.
Fewer than half of independents also support the recall, according to the poll.
Recall organizers collected over 2 million petition signatures, all but ensuring it will qualify for the ballot. However, the signatures are still in the process of being validated by election officials.
Newsom has linked the recall effort to extremists and the far-right.
"We must remain vigilant about these groups and how serious they are," Newsom said in an interview on MSNBC. "How bent they are on, well, doing what they can to promote their perspective."
As the recall has become more likely, the governor also launched a campaign website and released video linking recall backers to white supremacists, QAnon supporters and anti-vaccination activists.
Republican strategists have told CBS13 that Newsom's message will only harden the opposition, but Democratic strategists say the rhetoric plays to California's massive progressive base.
