Newsom's Favorability Surges as California Democrats Rebound After Prop 50 Win

One year after Donald Trump’s return to the White House left many California Democrats demoralized, Governor Gavin Newsom and his allies have seen a polling rebound driven largely by anti‑Trump sentiment and the passage of Proposition 50.

A new survey from the Public Policy Institute of California finds that both the governor — a likely presidential contender — and the heavily Democratic state Legislature moved into majority support in the closing months of the year. The approval uptick followed Democrats’ push for a newly drawn congressional map that critics have described as gerrymandered and supporters say will blunt Republican competitiveness in next year’s midterms.

Polling highlights:

Newsom’s favorability rose 10 percentage points over the year, from 46% in June to 56% this month. Legislative approval climbed 8 points to 53%.

For the first time since 2021, a slim majority of voters — 51% — reported in consecutive months that California is on the right track. That shift reflected increased optimism among independent voters and a double‑digit confidence gain among Democratic voters, who also expressed far higher enthusiasm than Republicans about voting in the upcoming midterms. Observers say the newly drawn maps, which improve Democratic prospects and reduce GOP competitiveness in many districts, likely contribute to that energy.

The survey paints a picture of a Democratic electorate emerging from the doldrums as party leaders adopted a more confrontational posture toward former President Trump, culminating in last month’s decisive approval of Proposition 50, the redistricting ballot measure.

Independents — roughly a quarter of California’s electorate — largely backed the new congressional districts: nearly two‑thirds said voter approval of the maps was "mostly a good thing," and a majority judged the November special election worth its $251 million cost.

At the start of the year, legislative Democrats pledged to focus on affordability while Newsom sought a more diplomatic approach to the White House as the party recovered from heavy election losses. That posture shifted as Trump pursued policies many Californians oppose, including large immigration enforcement actions and proposed federal spending cuts.

Newsom is now highlighting the Prop 50 victory, along with Democratic gains nationally last month, as evidence the party is "in its ascendancy."

Still, the governor and other California Democrats face persistent political liabilities. Voters across party lines overwhelmingly describe the state as too expensive, with housing singled out as the top economic concern. At the same time, a plurality of voters and a majority of Democrats named “political extremism or threats to democracy” as the nation’s most important issue — a theme Newsom has emphasized as he warns the country could be sliding toward authoritarianism.

What To Watch

How enthusiasm among independents and Democrats translates into turnout in 2026 will help determine whether the new maps and recent victories produce durable gains for California Democrats — or whether continuing concerns about cost of living and housing curb their momentum.