SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Gov. Gavin Newsom celebrated his second gubernatorial win last month, beating Republican state Sen. Brian Dahle by a never-in-doubt 18.4%. But a closer examination of the 2022 election shows that Newsom’s support has eroded since he first ran 2018.
Several inland counties in Northern and Central California saw Newsom’s vote totals drop by about 7%. In a handful of other counties he won in 2018 — including two in Southern California — he failed to gain a majority in 2022. In almost every county in the state, Newsom lost a small percentage of the votes he won when he first ran.
Newsom also survived a recall election in 2021, where 61.8% of Californians voted to keep him in office. He went on to receive 59.1% of the vote in 2022 — nearly a three point drop in support in the one year separating the two elections.
