Californians Don’t Want Newsom Running For President – California Gov. Gavin Newsom has been mentioned by some as a younger, more fit alternative to President Joe Biden, to be the Democratic Party nominee in 2024.
Gavin Newsom for President?
Californians, however, don’t want to see his name on the Democratic primary ballot.
Newsom told the press last fall that he might consider running should Biden decide against running for re-election.
His poor handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, runaway homelessness, housing costs, crime, and other issues make them see him as a poor choice.
A Quinnipiac poll conducted earlier in March found that 70% of Californians did not want their governor to run.
Only 35% of Democrats want Newsom to run for president, and 54% flat out do not.
“A resounding thumbs down from the home team as California voters tell the Governor: if you have designs on the big job beyond Sacramento, we’re not on board,” Quinnipiac poll analyst Tim Mallory wrote.
Newsom Has Been a Failure
Poor marks are nothing new for Newsom.
The evaporation of a viable Republican Party in the state has ensured that he can do just about what he wants.
Since 2023, California has lost 500,000 residents to other states due to the state’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic combined with out-of-control housing prices.
California lost a seat in Congress for the first time in decades in the 2020 census.
The Californian exodus has been resented by residents of other states such as Texas, where the slogan “Don’t California My Texas” has become more common, referring to resentment toward California’s liberal values and governance.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox urged Californians to stay home.
A Rough Ride
Gavin Newsom survived a recall election in 2021. Supporters of the recall argued that the governor mishandled the COVID-19 pandemic, inconsistently using his executive power to negatively impact businesses.
They also blamed Newsom for rising homelessness, homicides, and other downturns in the quality of life issues. Other gripes included the governor’s seemingly hypocritical dining at a Napa winery while ordinary Californians struggled under a COVID-related mask mandate.
Other Problems
California boasts the nation’s worst homelessness problem. Sacramento County where California’s state capital is located saw a 67% increase in homelessness from 2020 to 2022. The state’s homeless encampments have become havens for criminal activity such as drug abuse and a place where mental illnesses have become concentrated.
The state has a serious lack of affordable housing that has fueled the crisis.
“We’ll fund success not failure. I want to see results. They asked for money for encampments. They took $50 million, and we made it $750 million while keeping it in the budget. Let’s see results,” Newsom said in January. “Let’s do our job. This homelessness crisis is out of control.”
Gavin Newsom has spent $18.4 billion over the past four years on homelessness, which has become a symbol of the governor’s tenure.
California’s crime and homelessness epidemics have come to symbolize the failure of Newsom’s administration across the country, which could be a political liability for the governor.
From 19FortyFive
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