Gut punch for Gavin Newsom as overwhelming poll shows Californians loathe climate policy

Californians are pumping the brakes on Gov.Gavin Newsom’s plan to ban the sale of new gas-powered cars, with a new statewide poll showing the governor’s marquee climate policy has become a political headache.The survey by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California found nearly two-thirds of Californians oppose Newsom’s 2035 gas-car mandate.Among likely voters, 65% said they oppose the plan, while just 34% support it.Opposition is even stronger among infrequent voters, signaling the governor faces broad resistance as he pushes one of his most aggressive climate initiatives.The findings mark a dramatic turnaround from 2021, when Californians were evenly split over the proposal.Since then, opposition has jumped 17 percentage points as soaring living costs and energy prices have taken center stage.Even support within Newsom’s own party is slipping.Democratic backing has fallen from 55% in 2025 to an almost even split, with 50% supporting the mandate and 49% opposing it.Republicans remain overwhelmingly against the policy, with 91% rejecting it.Newsom signed the executive order in 2020, arguing that ending sales of new fossil fuel-powered passenger vehicles beginning in 2035 would help slash greenhouse gas emissions.But for many Californians, the cost of making the switch appears to outweigh the environmental pitch.Electric vehicles generally carry higher price tags than gas-powered models, and many drivers remain wary of depending on charging stations for longer trips, where recharging can take around 40 minutes if a charger is available.“Electricity is not cheap.

It often depends on the time of day,” PPIC Polling Director Mark Baldassare said.“Two things are going on in California now,” Baldassare told The Press Democrat.“People have their long-standing concerns about the environment.

But they also have immediate concerns about affordability.“When it comes to what people are willing to do, they’re worried about living costs and partic...