Poll Results Favor Vice President JD Vance Over Gavin Newsom

A recent poll, as reported by Breitbart News, suggests that Vice President JD Vance has surpassed Gavin Newsom (D-CA) in hypothetical matchups across seven key states. These states include Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

In these battleground states, 51% of respondents expressed a preference for Vance, while 49% leaned towards Newsom. Notably, Vance secured wins in five of these crucial swing states. Furthermore, it appears that Newsom’s popularity among Democrats is greater—9% more—than his appeal to Republicans, where he garnered a 7% advantage.

When it comes to public perception, 27% of voters have a very favorable opinion of Vance, compared to 21% for Newsom. Interestingly, a significant 45% of voters view Newsom unfavorably, which leaves Vance with a slight net positive image of 3%.

Looking at Newsom’s overall ratings, only 16% hold a very positive view of him, whereas 21% see him somewhat positively. A fair number—25%—aren’t even familiar with him, and on the downside, 14% rate him somewhat negatively, with 24% having a very unfavorable opinion.

In terms of other potential Democratic candidates, the numbers show:

• 49% have a favorable opinion of former Vice President Kamala Harris, while 46% have an unfavorable view.
• 43% see Minnesota Governor Tim Walz positively, but 37% have a negative impression. Notably, 20% of respondents are unaware of Walz, who was Harris’ running mate.
• For former Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg, 39% of voters view him positively, whereas 32% have negative opinions, and 30% are unfamiliar with him.
• 39% of voters have a positive view of Governor Josh Shapiro (D-PA), while 25% have a negative opinion. Additionally, 36% reported they do not know much about Pennsylvania’s leadership.

This poll gains context amid Trump’s recent comments regarding potential future leaders of the (MAGA) movement, where he mentioned “probably” and “heirs.” He referred to Vance as someone who could collaborate with Marco Rubio.

An earlier Emerson College poll indicated that Vance could potentially defeat Newsom and other Democratic candidates. Vance also achieved a slight victory at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) straw poll.

Moreover, around two-thirds of respondents endorsed President Trump’s “America First” investment policy. Specifically, 66% agreed that it aims to make America the largest hub for global investment while safeguarding national interests. Interestingly, 41% of Democrats and 36% of Kamala Harris supporters also backed this initiative.

A notable 80% of voters supported collaborating with American companies to produce goods domestically, as a way to enhance benefits for the U.S. economy. Statements mentioned concern over American firms in China being required to partner with Chinese businesses, often under the influence of the Chinese Communist Party. There was significant agreement on this point, with 73% of Harris supporters and 75% of Democrats and independents aligning with the sentiment. However, younger voters, particularly those aged 18 to 29, showed the least support, yet a still strong 68% did agree.

Finally, approximately 71% of voters expressed favor for ensuring fair competition with China, advocating that the U.S. government should require partial ownership by the Chinese government of companies wishing to operate in the U.S. This is seen as a parallel to what happens when American companies look to establish themselves in China.

Plymouth Union Public Research conducted this survey from August 8 to 10, surveying 1,000 likely voters across these seven battleground states.