A former California Republican Party official sent his party an ominous message Thursday, sounding the alarm about the findings of a new poll that showed a massive share of voters who plan to vote in favor of California's bid to add five Democratic U.S. House seats to counter GOP efforts to gerrymander ruby red states are doing so because of President Donald Trump.
A CBS News/YouGov poll conducted from Oct. 16-21 found that about 75% of likely voters who support the measure, known as Proposition 50, are motivated by opposition to Trump, or see their vote as a stance against the president. Seven in 10 of those voters say its to oppose national Republicans. Just 41% said it was to support Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA).
"Those voting for it overwhelmingly say one reason is for them to oppose the Trump administration — which they also feel generally treats California worse than other states — and oppose national Republicans," CBS News wrote in recapping the findings.
"Overall, those who see their Prop 50 vote as a national issue are backing it, and that rationale is in turn helping push the "yes" side of the measure into the lead."
Political strategist Mike Madrid, co-founder of the anti-Trump group The Lincoln Project and former political director for the California Republican Party, sounded the alarm for the GOP over the findings.
"Really bad sign for Republicans heading into the midterms," he wrote on X.
Jake Sherman of Punchbowl News wrote on X, "62-38. This ballot initiative is sailing. Republicans arent even really contesting it at this point."
Sherman said the findings "bucked even what Dems were worrying about. That the polling would get worse over time."
Progressive commentator Neera Tanden, a former senior advisor and staff secretary in the Biden administration, chimed in on X, "Pundits really wrong on this one."
"Basic fact is CA propositions have grown support. The crime prop last cycle grew by leaps and bounds. Anyone saying they always fall doesn’t know what they are talking about. And this prop was dependent on Trump behavior. Which has gotten worse so it grew in support," she added.
Jacob Rubashkin, deputy editor at Inside Elections, added on X, "Been saying this for months. Unlike other ballot measures that are harder to put on a partisan spectrum or get lost in the cacophony of the ballot, Prop 50 is very easy to make a Democrats vs. Republicans fight. And in California, that means the Democrat is going to win!
New York Times columnist Ronald Brownstein wrote on X, "In CA, 66% disapprove of Trump job, 68% oppose his deploying Ntl Guard (including 70% of Hispanics), 60% disapprove of his handling of deportation, 63% of Hispanics say he's deporting more than expected & 62% of all voters r backing Prop 50. Other than that, MAGA is rising in CA."