California Voters Split on Gov. Newsom Recall: Poll

California voters are divided on whether Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom should be recalled from office, a new CBS News poll found.

With a recall election set for Sept. 14, the poll found that 52% of likely voters said Newsom should not be recalled, and 48% said he should.

CBS News said the poll's margin of error is 4 points.

A favorable outcome for Newsom could be hindered by the enthusiasm gap between recall opponents and backers. The poll found that 78% of Republican voters said they "definitely" will vote in the recall election, and 72% said they are "very motivated to vote."

Among Democrats, 73% said they definitely will vote, and just 61% said they are very motivated to vote.

Looking at the results of the 2020 presidential vote, those who voted for former President Donald Trump are almost 20 points more inclined to say they're "very motivated" to vote in this recall than those who supported President Joe Biden.

The CBS News poll results Sunday found that 91% of respondents against the recall said they were doing so because there shouldn't be a recall election in the first place.

Of those voting in favor of recalling Newsom, 96% said they were doing so because they opposed the job the governor was doing.

The CBS News poll reinforces the results of other recent polls.

A UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll last month found that support for removing Newsom from office increased in July, with 47% of registered voters supporting the recall while 50% opposed.

An Emerson College poll in July also showed the recall effort gaining support. It found 43% of voters backing the effort — up from 38% in March — while 48% were opposed.

Voters in the recall will be faced with two questions: Should Newsom be recalled? If so, who should replace him?

CBS News said Newsom's overall approval ratings remained good, with 57% of California adults approving of the job he’s doing. A total of 43% disapproved.

Should he survive the recall, Newsom will be up for reelection next year.

Conservative radio host Larry Elder leads a group of Republican candidates trying to replace the governor, though 25% of respondents said they are unsure who they’d choose as a replacement and 20% said they would select "no one."

The CBS News poll surveyed 1,856 adult California residents, including 1,534 likely voters, from Aug. 6-12.

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