Poll shows majority of Californians support Becerra for governor, CEQA reforms

Democrat Xavier Becerra is leading the race for governor of California in the new election, which also shows broad voter support for a ballot proposal to change the state’s landmark environmental law to accelerate housing and infrastructure.

A study by the Public Policy Institute of California, released Wednesday night, focuses on questions related to climate change and environmental policies.

The results show that Californians have a strong aversion to building data centers for artificial intelligence technology, and are strongly in favor of the state’s efforts to protect the environment and reduce emissions – with few exceptions.

The survey showed Becerra ahead of Republican Steve Hilton in the race to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom. Becerra, a longtime Democratic incumbent, received support from 61% of likely voters, compared to 36% for Hilton, a conservative who once advised the British prime minister.

The results are not surprising in a situation where Democratic voters overwhelmingly outnumber Republicans. The GOP has not won a national election since 2008.

Only 2% of voters said they are not sure which person they will support in the November election. The poll results skewed heavily partisan, with more than 9 out of 10 Democratic and Republican voters choosing their party’s candidate. The majority of independent voters lean toward Becerra, 60%, over Hilton, 34%.

The results match data from a poll conducted just before the June 2 primary election that asked voters to choose between the two. In that survey52% said they supported Becerra and 31% were for Hilton.

In a statement Wednesday, Hilton described the race as “very open,” arguing that Becerra’s support was weaker than the headline polls would suggest.

“Instead of a 36-year-old politician, we need a good, strong problem-solver with business acumen and plans to make our country ‘Califordable’ – that’s me,” Hilton said.

Becerra spokesman Jonathan Underland said in a statement: “Californians know Xavier Becerra at prime time, and they’re ready to make him their next governor. We’ve got our eyes on the prize — we’re hitting the trail every day ’til November to turn that support into votes.”

Support for CEQA reforms

A ballot measure aimed at amending California’s Environmental Quality Act to speed construction marked a strong showing in the polls.

About three-quarters of likely voters, including a majority of Democrats, Republicans and independents, say they will vote for Proposition 45. The measure would shorten the windows for environmental reviews, public comment and legal challenges for certain housing, transportation, water infrastructure and other projects.

“Right now in the campaign, California voters feel more aligned with the Democratic candidates on the environment, and it’s showing in the polls,” said PPIC research director Mark Baldassare. “But strong support for Proposition 45 reflects their desire to balance environmental priorities with housing and infrastructure needs.”

The strongest opposition to the data center

The poll found that most Californians don’t want new data centers to support the AI ​​boom built in their area; 44% of adults say they are “strongly opposed” to such projects, and 29% are “somewhat opposed”.

Most of the opposition parties hold political parties, regions, gender, race and income. It was announced in particular in the Inland Empire, where plans for a 950,000-square-foot data center have stalled after aggressive resident pushback. Three out of three respondents in that region said they were opposed to building new data centers.

“Every day, we hear how local communities across the country are responding to data center initiatives,” Baldassare said. “Californians weigh in and share this growing concern.”

Support environmental policies – unless they cost more

The poll also shows strong support, if appropriate, for California’s efforts to reduce climate-warming greenhouse gas emissions and protect the environment.

Three-quarters of adults said policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions have been a good thing overall, and 65% said they support California leaders’ efforts to make their own environmental policies different from the federal government’s.

While the majority of respondents – 62% – said they favored a law requiring 100% of the state’s electricity to come from renewable energy sources within the next two decades, only 38% said they were willing to pay more for electricity from renewable sources.

“With electricity prices rising and affordability a growing concern, Californians simply aren’t willing to pay more for renewable energy,” Baldassare said. A unanimous majority, 96%, said the cost of energy — including gasoline, natural gas and electricity — was a problem.

Newsom’s initiative to ban the sale of new gas-powered vehicles in the state by 2035 also seems to be on the wane. Two-thirds of Californians oppose the policy, the biggest slide in approval since 2021, when a PPIC poll showed 49% support the measure.

Still, a majority of likely voters — 53% and 51% respectively — say they agree with Newsom and the state Legislature’s handling of environmental issues.

At 28 percent, President Trump’s environmental approval rating was the lowest. In his second term, Trump has moved to loosen environmental regulations, including easing pollution rules for coal-fired power plants and forcing oil drilling off California’s coast.

“Given this rating gap, it’s no surprise that Californians want to see the state take the lead on climate change policy,” Baldassare said.

The poll polled 1,578 California adults, 1,003 of whom were likely voters, in English and Spanish from June 29 to July 6 and had a margin of error of 3.8 percent either way.