A recent poll indicates that a large share of Americans believe that California has shifted too far to the left, including a significant number of self-described Democrats. The poll also came as California continues to struggle with ongoing issues regarding crime, homelessness and the ongoing migrant crisis.
A recent poll found that half of the country believes that California is “in decline.” About half of Republican voters said that California has created an identity separate from the United States.
The Los Angeles Times poll also found that 30% of Democrats said that California is “too liberal.” Overall, among those who believe that the state is in decline, 45% of independents and 33% of Democrats agree.
Furthermore, only a third of Democrats believe that the state’s standard of living is better than that of other states.
Only about 40% of the public believes that the Golden State is a good one to raise a family in.
Since the George Floyd riots of 2020, California has seen a significant increase in crime. This has centered around a number of major cities, including Los Angeles, San Francisco and Oakland.
In particular, the Bay Area has seen significant challenges in recent years as its crime rate and homelessness rate increased. Furthermore, both Oakland and San Francisco have seen a number of retail locations closed, citing the high cost of doing business and crime.
Furthermore, California has some of the highest tax rates in the nation, which many conservatives argue contributes to an ongoing wave of residents leaving the state. In 2023, the state lost more than 250,000 net residents to other states.
California, New York and Illinois lead the rankings for net loss of residents via interstate migration—when broken down by educational attainment, per Census Bureau
Net 2022 loss
📉 California: 148,905
📉 New York: 121,446
📉 Illinois: 53,778#CalExodushttps://t.co/OxBB9fwVfY— skepticalifornia (@skepticaliblog) February 9, 2024
The outflow of middle-class and upper-income residents has had a significant impact on the state. California has also seen the trend accelerate in recent years, with a peak found during the pandemic.
Many conservatives point to the policies of California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), who engaged in a high-profile debate with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) about their views of the future of the country.
