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A new poll by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California found 58% of likely voters surveyed in California oppose removing Newsom from office compared to 39% who support recalling the governor, a gap rooted in the sharp partisan divide between Democratic and Republican voters in the state.
In response, Newsom has blanketed California with ads attacking the top GOP candidates, casting them as devotees of former President Trump who oppose state mandates for COVID-19 vaccinations and mask wearing, a clear strategy to rally California’s left-leaning electorate, according to The Los Angeles Times. “Democrats have heard messages about the roots of this recall and what would happen with COVID and other things if Newsom is removed,” Baldassare said. “It hasn’t moved Republican voters or independent voters much, but has had an impact on Democratic voters.”
Ballots have already been mailed to all California registered voters.The mail ballot returns so far show that more than twice as many Democrats have voted than Republicans and that liberal areas of the state such as the Bay Area have the highest rates of return, according to state officials and political data researchers.