Californians say Newsom is more focused on boosting presidential prospects than fixing state

SACRAMENTO — By more than 2 to 1, California registered voters believe that Gov. Gavin Newsom is more focused on boosting his presidential prospects than on fixing the problems in his own state, according to a new poll.

A survey by UC Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies, co-sponsored by The Times, found that 54% of voters said Newsom is devoting more attention to things that could benefit himself as a future White House contender compared with 26% who said he’s paying more attention to governing the state and helping to solve its problems.

“People kind of look at him as being very ambitious,” Mark DiCamillo, director of the poll, said about Newsom.

The governor has said repeatedly that he is not considering running for president, despite the speculation about his political future.

He also agreed with journalist Mark Halperin’s assertion in a recent interview that he’s more undecided than people believe.

“I might,” Newsom said. “I don’t know, but I have to have a burning why, and I have to have a compelling vision that distinguishes myself from anybody else. Without that, without both, and, I don’t deserve to even be in the conversation.”

The poll, conducted in late April, comes after the governor struggled for months to find his political path as the leader of the Democratic stronghold of California in a nation that elected Donald Trump in November. Issue by issue, Newsom has toggled between embracing his brand as a fighter for his party and more judiciously stepping back from the role of Trump antagonist.

Newsom put on the boxing gloves when he called a special session immediately after the presidential election to fund court battles against Trump’s policies and led a lawsuit last month asking a judge to strike down the president’s tariffs. At the same time, he’s sought to tone down partisan rhetoric and work with the president on disaster recovery after the deadly Southern California wildfires in January.

The governor has become a target of conservative criticism over his liberal policies, such as offering undocumented immigrants state-sponsored healthcare that, according to the poll, received a mixed response from voters.

He’s also taken heat from progressives for voicing moderate views during discussions with controversial Republicans who appeared on his national podcast, including when he said it’s unfair for transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports. Newsom broke from Democratic leaders in the Assembly last week when he supported making it a felony to solicit a 16- or 17-year-old for sex.

Californians were evenly split on his performance as governor, with 46% saying they approved of the job he was doing and the same percentage saying they disapproved. DiCamillo said those numbers have been consistent for Newsom in Berkeley IGS polls since about October 2023.

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The governor’s approval rating this time was 15 points lower than former Gov. Jerry Brown’s in a 2017 Berkeley IGS poll conducted at a similar point in his second term, DiCamillo said.

“I think it’s just a much more partisan view of Newsom than what some of his predecessors had and a lot of that has to do with just the background of where we are now in today’s politics,” DiCamillo said. “It’s just a very, very hyper partisan view of all politics.”

Partisanship came into play once again in a question about how voters feel federal policy changes by the Trump administration will affect California, with Democrats more strongly predicting worse outcomes than Republicans.

Nearly two-thirds of voters predicted negative effects of Trump’s proposed tariffs on California business and agriculture and more than half said the same about the fate of the state’s Medi-Cal insurance program, efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the undocumented immigrant population, K-12 public schools and the public higher education system.

When asked about Newsom’s ability to effectively look out for California’s interests when dealing with the Trump administration, voters were pretty evenly split. The poll found that 48% expressed confidence in the governor and 45% said they were not confident.

The poll also surveyed voters about their take on Newsom’s signature healthcare policy to expand eligibility for state-sponsored healthcare to all undocumented immigrants who qualify based on their income. California gradually opened the program up to undocumented immigrants in different age groups over the last several years.

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The poll found wide support for providing Medi-Cal coverage to children younger than 18. For offering healthcare to adults ages 50 and older, 53% approved and 40% opposed. Fewer supported care for adults ages 18 to 49, with 49% approving and 43% opposing.

The state’s costs for offering coverage to immigrants is billions more than earlier estimates. Although Newsom has pledged to continue offering care for the current fiscal year that ends in June, he may propose cuts to the program in mid-May when he unveils his updated budget plan for next year.

Among the more traditional routes to cut Medi-Cal is by reducing eligibility or rates, establishing enrollment caps, or adding co-pays, though there are other options. The governor has not said that he intends to rescind care from entire age groups.