- BetOnline odds suggest Californians will vote in favor of recalling Governor Gavin Newsom
- Newsom has received criticism for his inconsistent handling of the pandemic
- California last recalled a governor in 2003
Some politicians have drawn rave reviews for their handling of the pandemic. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo comes to mind as a figure that has garnered some praise for his leadership as his state dealt with a major outbreak last spring. However, some other politicians have drawn plenty of ire as the pandemic has worn on.
California Governor Gavin Newsom is among those that seems to fall into the latter category. According to a recent poll conducted by the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies, Gov. Newsom’s approval rating has plummeted thanks in large part to California’s continuous struggles to contain the spread of the virus.
More than one-third of those polled said they would support a vote to have Newsom ousted from his job if a recall were to qualify for the ballot. However, another 45 percent said they would oppose the idea.
Newsom Taking Plenty of Heat
It’s a discouraging sign for the first-term governor, who is thought to have a bright political future inside the Democratic Party. The 53-year-old was elected in a landslide over Republican challenger John Cox back in 2018. Newsom had previously served as the state’s Lieutenant Governor while Jerry Brown was in office. There has been talk over the years about the potential for Newsom to make a run for the White House at some point in the future, but his handling of the pandemic may have a chilling effect on his ambitions.
The poll said that only 31 percent of Californians surveyed believe that Newsom and other state leaders have done an excellent or good job in the midst of the pandemic. Another 23 percent say they have done an adequate job, while 43 percent said the efforts have been poor.
Mark DiCamillo, who directed the poll, told the LA Times,
“People are reevaluating how well Newsom is doing handling the pandemic. Once your job performance rating starts to decline, it’s more difficult to put it back in the right direction. You kind of accumulate negatives over time.” In all, about 46 percent of those polled approved of the overall job Newsom has done in office to this point. Late last year, Newsom’s approval was in the neighborhood of 60 percent.
Gov. Newsom and other state leaders have struggled to balance safety measures with economic measures. Newsom recently announced that he has lifted the in-person dining restrictions that went into effect in December. Those restrictions sparked outcries on both sides. Some believed he was overreaching with the restrictions, while others believed he wasn’t doing enough to help the state flatten the curve.
Newsom has also received criticism for his handling of school closures and reopening, while he took some personal heat after being photographed at an upscale restaurant in Napa Valley despite his public pleas for Californians to stay home amid the spread of the virus.
Odds Favor Newsom’s Recall
BetOnline is actually taking bets on whether California voters will actually sign off on the idea of voting on Newsom to be recalled. The odds heavily favor Californians voting in favor of a recall (-180), while “no” checks-in as a +140 underdog.
69 Percent of Democrats Surveyed in the Poll Oppose Voting to Recall Newsom From Office
Another 71 percent said that they have confidence that Newsom’s efforts will eventually help to slow the spread. On the flip side, a whopping 84 percent of Republicans asked the same question responded in favor of a recall. 40 percent of non-party voters rejected the recall idea, while 32 percent were in favor of it.
California’s History
California is a blue state, of course. Registered Democrats in the nation’s most populous state outnumber registered Republicans by a margin of nearly 2-1. Donald Trump received just 34 percent of the total vote in California in November’s general election, when he was defeated by President Joe Biden.
California has a history with this sort of thing. Back in 2003, Governor Gray Davis was recalled after Republican efforts to oust him from office proved to be successful. Davis was eventually thrown out of office and subsequently replaced by Arnold Schwarzenegger in the state’s special recall election. At the time, Davis was just the second American governor to be recalled from office.
Taylor Smith
Taylor Smith has been a staff writer with GamblingSites.org since early 2017. Taylor is primarily a sports writer, though he will occasionally dabble in other things like politics and entertainment betting. His primary specialties are writing about the NBA, Major League Baseball, NFL and domestic and international soccer. Fringe sports like golf and horse racing aren’t exactly his cup of tea, bu …
