California Recall Election: Poll Shows Wide Majority of Latinos Oppose Removing Gavin Newsom From Office

A new poll in the closing days of the recall election in California showed that a big majority of Latino voters are in opposition to removing Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom.

A Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) poll released last week revealed that 66 percent of likely Latino voters believed that the outcome of the recall election is very important.

The survey found that only 39 percent of likely voters surveyed supported removing Newsom from office if the recall election, scheduled for September 14, were held today, while 58 percent would vote "no" in removing the present governor.

Recall Election: Latinos Oppose Removing California Gov. Gavin Newsom

Hispanics are the largest ethnic group in California, comprising 39 percent of the state's population and about 28 percent of registered voters, Axios reported. Based on a New York Times report, Latinos have pushed Democratic victories in the state of California for decades.

The Latino voters also helped the party win supermajorities in both State Legislature houses. Even Latino senators and Assembly members were already holding powerful positions and had passed some of the most immigrant-friendly legislation in the U.S.

The Latino voters' support for Gavin Newsom would be critical because it would serve as a major warning for Democrats trying to flip Texas. Axios reported that if Latino voters help save Newsom, it may empower Latino-focused advocacy groups who can vote to make more demands.

Based on the PPIC poll, 53 percent of Californians approve of how Newsom is handling his job overall. The poll asked 1,706 California adult residents between August 20 and August 29 and had a sampling error of ±3.4 percent.

Latinos Shape California for Decades

The strong support from Latino respondents to Gavin Newsom in the PPIC poll is noteworthy. Last month, an Emerson College/Nexstar poll found that 54 percent of Latinos actually favored the recall of the California governor. Mexican American political activists believe the latest numbers could be a result of Newsom failing to sufficiently engage with Latino voters.

Three years ago, around 66 percent or roughly two-thirds of all Latinos voted for Gavin Newsom as governor. But now, New York Times reported that polling suggests Latino voters are almost evenly split on the recall.

The report noted that many Latino voters still had mixed feelings about the prospect of Newsom being ousted from office. So far, Sacramento-based research group Political Data Inc. reported that only 18 percent of all registered Latino voters have already mailed in their ballots, in contrast to 32 percent of white voters.

All California voters receive ballots by mail. The voters have the option of either dropping them off at ballot boxes, mailing them, or voting in person until September 14.

The president of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Thomas A. Saenz, noted that the real issue was that the California governor had not engendered enthusiasm among Latino voters.

Saenz, who has been involved in California politics for decades, noted that it was the reason why Newsom was threatened. He said Latinos were not motivated by Newsom's policies and practices. He added that Newsom failed to acknowledge the importance of Latino community in the state.

Gavin Newsom has appointed Alex Padilla to replace outgoing Sen. Kamala Harris for the remainder of her term. The appointment placed Padilla as the first Mexican American U.S. senator in California history.

The recall election is coming as many Latinos are still reeling from the impact of the pandemic. The coronavirus pandemic has disproportionately hit Latinos in California since many of them work in essential service jobs. Because of this, many Latinos contract and die from COVID-19 than white residents.

This article is owned by Latin Post

Written By: Jess Smith

WATCH: California Recall: Newsom Seeks To Bolster Support Among Latino Voters With 1 Week To Go - From KPIX CBS SF Bay Area