Majority of Californians say state is headed in wrong direction

Most Californians in a new poll release Tuesday say the state is headed in the wrong direction, accompanying a dip in California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s approval rating.

The survey, conducted by the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies and co-sponsored by the Los Angeles Times, found 54% of registered voters believe California is on the wrong track compared to 36% who believe it is on the right track.

Newsom split those polled on performance as governor, with 48% of California residents approving while 47% disapproved.

The Los Angeles Times reported this was down from the 64% approval rating Newsom had in September 2020 amid the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. His handling of coronavirus is one of his strengths, but its buoying effect on his overall approval rating is diluted as more and more believe the crisis is passing.

“You see a lot of changing going on in the public’s mind. I think they’re focusing less on COVID, more on the other long-standing issues that the state has been facing,” Mark DiCamillo, director of the poll, told the Los Angeles Times. “The state has some major issues, and he’s the governor. The buck stops there.”

The issues behind Newsom’s sinking approval rating voters’ dissatisfaction with how he has handled homelessness, crime and education. 66% of registered voters said Newsom’s performance on homelessness was “poor” or “very poor.” 51% said the same of Newsom on crime, and 43% of him on education.

Voter satisfaction is down slightly amongst white, Latino and Asian American/Pacific Islander voters from six months ago, while up for black voters. Also notable was a rise in criticism from the state’s Democrats of their governor, up 7% from six months ago.

Despite this, Newsom is a strong contender for reelection in the 2022 midterms, having already raised $25 million for his campaign.