Written by Michael Palomba
A new poll released by the San Diego Union-Tribune/10News poll and conducted by SurveyUSA found that former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer is leading Gov. Newsom in the race for 2022 Governor.
The poll sampled 500 adult residents in San Diego County and asked a variety of questions ranging from opinions on President Trump to COVID-19.
When asked about who they would vote for in a hypothetical 2022 matchup, 38% of those surveyed said Kevin Faulconer, while 36% preferred Newsom. 26% were undecided.
It doesn’t end there. In addition to slightly losing to Faulconer, Gov. Newsom also did worse within his own party. 59% of Democrats polled would choose Newsom compared to 77% of Republicans choosing Faulconer.
Newsom’s image has taken a significant hit as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. First it was his harsh shutdown order that left many business owners in financial ruins. Next, he was caught lying about an outing he attended in which he broke his own COVID-19 guidelines. Newsom initially said the event was outdoors and that social distancing and PPE were used, but photo evidence later showed a mostly indoor restaurant with no social distancing or PPE being used. California’s slower than expected vaccine distribution and ballooning COVID-19 case number isn’t helping Newsom either.
His kids can learn in person. But yours can’t.
He can celebrate birthday parties. But you can’t.
He can dine on a $350 meal at one California’s fanciest restaurants during the worst recession in generations. But you definitely can’t.
Can you believe this? I can’t. https://t.co/lmRBWh9rpS
— Kevin Faulconer (@Kevin_Faulconer) November 14, 2020
While Newsom is at a slight disadvantage for the 2022 race, he may have to face off against Faulconer sooner than that. The recall campaign that seeks to unseat Newsom has made great strides in recent weeks and has garnered over 1,000,000 signatures. The petition will need about 500,000 more signatures before the March 10th, 2021 deadline. If enough signatures are received, the choice to recall Gov. Newsom will head to the ballot for voters to decide. You can find the petition here.
