California Gov. Gavin Newsom is struggling to connect with potential voters ahead of a possible 2028 presidential election run, with less than 3 out of 10 voters thinking favorably of the governor.
A new NBC poll found that only 27% of primary voters view Newsom positively, while 45% have a negative opinion. He scored significantly better among voters who identified as Democrats, pulling a 52% favorability rating.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris has a 67% approval rating among Democratic voters, but only 34% overall. Harris ran as the Democratic nominee in 2024 but lost to Donald Trump.
Over 1,000 registered voters participated in the poll. The -18 difference ranked worst among the six politicians — Secretary of State Marco Rubio (-7), Vice President JD Vance (-11), New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (-11), Trump (-12), and Harris (-17) — and the fifth-lowest among the 14 topics discussed.
🚨 POLL DROP: NBC polling shows Gov. Gavin Newsom with a -18 favorability rating nationwide, with 27% viewing him favorably and 45% unfavorably as 2028 speculation grows.pic.twitter.com/kUY063XCmc
— Derrick Evans (@DerrickEvans4WV) March 8, 2026
The Democratic Party had only a 30% approval rating, considerably below the Republican Party’s 37%.
Marley Ross, a 25-year-old Democrat who participated in the poll, brought up age as it relates to the six politicians. Newsom turns 59 later this year, and Trump turns 80 in June. Harris will celebrate her 62nd birthday in October and, if she won in 2028, would be only the eighth individual to begin their presidency at 64 or older; it would be the tenth total instance because Trump and Ronald Reagan were both inaugurated twice.
“We have too many older people at the top,” Ross said. “And they have not given enough young people a chance to get in and develop, [so] that we now have this weird, extreme age gap of very old and very young that I think has led to a leadership gap.”
The poll comes amid Newsom’s recent various controversies, ranging from his infamous “I’m like you” comment in Georgia while discussing his SAT scores to accusations that he has either outright lied or exaggerated his family’s financial struggles when he was growing up. Some have also sought proof of Newsom having dyslexia, though allegations about him lying have not been proven.
Stephen A. Smith on potential Democratic candidates for the 2028 presidential election: “I don’t believe any of them have a chance of winning… Gavin Newsom… crime, homelessness, affordability, environment, debt in California.”
“So you want us to let you run the country but we… pic.twitter.com/KqZMkpvgw2
— RedWave Press (@RedWavePress) February 27, 2026
More recently, Newsom faced accusations of antisemitism after calling Israel an “apartheid state”. That phrase is widely considered antisemitic because it labels the world’s only Jewish state as an inherently racist project, which many see as a way to deny Jewish people their right to a homeland.
Newsom also turned heads last weekend when he compared himself to civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., Indian activist Mahatma Gandhi, and former South African activist, and Nelson Mandela. However, Newsom remains the overwhelming favorite to earn the Democratic nomination, with Polymarket giving him 25% odds as of March 11. Ocasio-Cortez is second with 9%, with Harris and Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff at 5%.
As of publication, Newsom has not publicly announced whether he will run for office. No politicians from either major party have confirmed a potential 2028 run.
