Governor Gavin Newsom’s favorability rating trailed far behind President Donald Trump’s in a new national survey, even as both leaders received overall negative ratings in a political climate where figures from both parties remain unpopular.
Between President Trump and Governor Newsom, the president enjoyed more favorability, according to the recent NBC News Survey.
President Trump’s favorability stood at around 41% positive and 53% negative, according to the survey. Although he faced mostly negative ratings, his position was still stronger than some prominent Democratic leaders featured in the survey.
Newsom’s ratings came in significantly lower, with roughly 27% of voters viewing him favorably and 45% unfavorably. While he remains a prominent figure in the Democratic Party, the numbers suggest that his image among voters nationwide remains relatively weak.
Governor Newsom is known for his outspoken criticisms of President Trump and his policies. He has also emerged as one of the prospective Democratic candidates for the 2028 presidential race.
In October 2025, the governor told CBS News he would make a decision on whether to run for president after the 2026 midterm elections.
Newsom has also been making appearances on the world stage, including visits to Davos, Switzerland, for the World Economic Forum and to the Munich Security Conference in recent months.
Voter Attitudes to the Two Parties
The NBC News Survey also highlights a broad pattern in voter attitudes toward the two parties. Both the Democratic and Republican parties saw negative ratings.
The Democratic Party saw around 30% favorable and 52% unfavorable ratings. On the other hand, Republicans performed slightly better, with 37% viewing the party as favorable and 51% unfavorable.
While neither party appears widely popular, the data suggests that Democrats are currently facing somewhat greater challenges with voters.
However, despite the unfavorable ratings for Democrats, the party has an edge in voters’ congressional preference. In the generic ballot question, roughly 50% said they would support a Democratic candidate for Congress, in contrast to the 44% for a Republican candidate.
Popularity of Other Political Figures
The survey also measured the popularity of other leading Democratic and Republican political figures, who are often touted as potential candidates for the 2028 presidential race.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris recorded a 34% favorability and 51% unfavorability, placing her a bit ahead of Governor Newsom.
Among Republican political figures, Vice President JD Vance posted 38% favorability and 49% unfavorability ratings.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted 34% favorable and 41% unfavorable ratings.
The NBC News Survey was conducted between February 27 and March 3, 2026, among 1,000 registered voters. The respondents included 620 interviewed via cellphone and 309 who completed an online survey sent through text message. The poll has a margin of error of ±3.1 percentage points.
“Will it play in Peoria?” The “it,” in this case, is Governor Newsom. Per this particular poll, the answer whether or not Newsom will “play in Peoria” is a big NO. Even though most in California believe he is doing a great job, the rest of the country does not. Bottom line is that on a national level, Gavin has some work to do. I believe he will be the (D) candidate in 2028 as there’s no way they’ll chance running former VP Harris again, and they’re too afraid to run Mayor Pete (just as Harris was too afraid to pick him as her running mate). Unless the DNC can select a winner, Marco Rubio will be residing at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. as soon as The Don clears out his mess.
Are you really that gullible?