A recent poll co-sponsored by the Los Angeles Times and the University of California-Berkeley has found that Californians are almost evenly divided on the upcoming recall election of Gov. Gavin Newsom (D).
According to the poll, 47 percent of likely voters now support recalling Newsom, while 50 percent oppose the efforts. This difference of 3 percentage points is nearly within the poll’s margin of error, the Los Angeles Times reported.
??New #RecallNewsom poll??
— Cameron Arcand (@cameron_arcand) July 27, 2021
47% Support/50% Oppose
LA Times/UCB poll of *likely* voters https://t.co/Z62kIGWeNa
Politically, these figures indicate that Newsom is in his most precarious position since former Yolo, Calif. police Sgt. Orrin Heatlie filed the recall petition in February 2020. Just one week ago, an Emerson College poll showed that only 43 percent of California voters would recall Newsom — a full 4 percent less than this week.
Furthermore, both of the July polls reflect the drastic decline of public support for Newsom since UC-Berkeley last conducted a recall poll in February, when just 36 percent of voters said they would vote to recall Newsom.
The recall election, which is the fourth of its kind in American history, will be held across California on Sept. 14. Two questions will be on the ballot: Should Newsom be removed from office? And if “yes,” who is your preferred candidate to replace Newsom?
Californians are also able to vote by mail in the recall election. All registered voters will begin receiving mail-in ballots on Aug. 16.
Republican candidates on the ballot include Larry Elder, a conservative radio host known for the catchphrase “We’ve got a country to save!” The Los Angeles Times/UC-Berkeley poll shows Elder leading with 18 percent of support from the pro-recall crowd. If elected, Elder would become the first Black governor in California’s 170-year history.
Rancho Santa Fe businessman John Cox (10 percent) and former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer (10 percent) are the other two candidates polling in double figures. Former Olympian turned-reality star Caitlyn Jenner has fallen off and is now polling at just 3 percent.
Heatlie’s petition was the fifth formal effort to recall Newsom since the governor took office in January 2019. Though he enjoyed high approval ratings more than a year into his term, Newsom’s restrictive and ineffective lockdowns did little to slow the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus.
At the time of writing, California has recorded nearly 4 million cases of the virus, while 64,000 Californians have died from the virus. In Los Angeles County, approximately 1.3 million cases and 25,000 deaths have been recorded.