{"id":248174,"date":"2026-04-02T08:18:09","date_gmt":"2026-04-02T08:18:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/248174\/"},"modified":"2026-04-02T08:18:09","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T08:18:09","slug":"democrats-destroyed-california-could-a-republican-save-it-opinion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/248174\/","title":{"rendered":"Democrats destroyed California. Could a Republican save it? | Opinion"},"content":{"rendered":"

I love visiting California. It’s sunny and beautiful. Whether strolling through Hollywood or along the beach, it feels like everything is possible.<\/p>\n

But that feeling is short-lived. I’d never want to live there.<\/p>\n

Progressive policies sanctioned by the Democratic Party or Gov. Gavin Newsom have slowly eroded California’s burgeoning potential into a wasteland of high taxes,\u00a0debt,<\/a>\u00a0and unresolved crises such as homeless, infrastructure<\/a> and affordability<\/a>. As a result, companies are moving and so are residents.<\/p>\n

The state needs new policies that could reshape its future, and conservative politicians may have discovered a way to position themselves for greater influence. Democrats destroyed California. Could a Republican save it?<\/p>\n

California has a long list of problems. Republicans can fix them.\"California<\/p>\n

California Gov. Gavin Newsom delivers the State of the State address in Sacramento on Jan. 8, 2026.<\/p>\n

The Democratic Party in California has held a supermajority<\/a> \u2012 a two-thirds veto-proof majority \u2012 in both chambers for a long time, allowing them to pass legislation with little Republican interference. California’s potential has been squandered, mismanaged or wasted as a result of progressive policies in key areas.<\/p>\n

California’s sky-high income taxes<\/a>, coupled with hefty government regulations<\/a>, have forced businesses to bail<\/a> on the Golden State. Public Storage is the latest high-profile company<\/a> to leave California for Texas. It joins many others, like Tesla<\/a> and Chevron<\/a>.<\/p>\n

More than a year after the Palisade and Eaton wildfires<\/a> destroyed roughly 13,000 homes, fewer than a dozen have been rebuilt<\/a>. Democrats point to delays from insurance companies, but Republicans argue that local regulations are holding up recovery, too. It’s gotten so difficult for residents that President Donald Trump<\/a> sought to accelerate rebuilding efforts through an executive order<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Homelessness<\/a> continues to be an epidemic in Los Angeles despite spending at least $24 billion<\/a> on it since 2019.<\/p>\n

Gas in California is almost $6<\/a>, in part due to the ongoing conflict in Iran, but it’s often been well above the national average<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Thanks to these issues and a bevy of others, residents have been fleeing California<\/a> for the better part of two decades. A new paper from the California Policy Lab found that Californians “are increasingly leaving from higher-income neighborhoods<\/a>.”<\/p>\n

Opinion newsletter: Sign up for our newsletter on conservative values, family and religion from columnist Nicole Russell. Get it delivered to your inbox<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Some argue this will eventually affect the state’s political clout. California has already lost one electoral vote<\/a> for the first time after the 2020 Census.<\/p>\n

California needs help, and it deserves it. I know I’m biased, but I think that can only come from different, and better, policies, spearheaded by Republicans. I know conservatives are imperfect, but a Democratic supermajority hasn’t worked so well for California.<\/p>\n

Could a Republican actually lead California?<\/p>\n

A new Evitarus poll<\/a>, sponsored by the California Democratic Party<\/a>, suggests that a Republican option could actually be within reach.<\/p>\n

Two GOP gubernatorial candidates are leading among likely\u00a0voters\u00a0for the June primary: Conservative commentator Steve Hilton at 16% and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco at 14%.<\/p>\n

Of the eight Democratic candidates, three are tying on top at about 10%: U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell,\u00a0former Rep. Katie Porter\u00a0and billionaire Tom Steyer.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The California State Capitol on March 20, 2026, in Sacramento.<\/p>\n

California\u2019s unique election rules set this up<\/a>. The state uses a \u201ctop-two\u201d system in which every candidate is listed on a single ballot regardless of party affiliation, and the two highest vote-getters advance to the general election.<\/p>\n

Because polls have shown two Republicans advancing to the general election, it raises the possibility that Democrats could be locked out of the race for governor.<\/p>\n

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What’s ahead for California? Something needs to change.<\/p>\n

Normally, I’d say there’s no chance Californians would elect a Republican for governor. But they might be changing their mind thanks to how Democrats have handled their states.<\/p>\n

In a 2025 poll conducted via text by David Wolfson<\/a>, a national pollster and lecturer at Columbia University, 48% of likely California voters said they were considering voting for a Republican for governor in 2026. Why? Dissatisfaction with the Democratic Party.<\/p>\n

Of the 700 surveyed, 71% said the governor and legislative leaders have not addressed California\u2019s high cost of living, 60% oppose free health care for undocumented immigrants, and 73% support fully funding anti-crime Proposition 36. Democratic lawmakers have too long ignored what Californians want.<\/p>\n

In 2022, Karen Bass defeated Rick Caruso<\/a> to become mayor of Los Angeles by 10 points. That doesn’t seem like much to me for a guy who had been previously registered as a Republican before becoming an independent<\/a> and then a Democrat. He considered running for governor but announced in January that he’s not.<\/p>\n

The real estate developer’s firm owns The Grove<\/a>, an idyllic haven in LA that feels like a respite from chaos. I’ve been there many times and wondered: Why wouldn’t Californians want the entire state to operate like this? If you’ve been, you know what I mean.<\/p>\n

They could if they elected a Republican.<\/p>\n

I don’t know if Californians will take a chance and elect a Republican for governor, but it couldn’t get much worse than what they’re dealing with now. A Republican might lower taxes, deregulate businesses and spend tax dollars responsibly. Sounds golden to me.<\/p>\n

Nicole Russell is an opinion columnist with USA TODAY.\u00a0She lives in Texas with her four kids.\u00a0Sign up for her newsletter, The Right Track<\/a>, and get it delivered to your inbox.<\/p>\n

You can read diverse opinions from our USA TODAY columnists<\/a> and other writers on the Opinion front page<\/a>, on X, formerly Twitter, @usatodayopinion<\/a> and in our Opinion newsletter<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Gov. Gavin Newsom and liberals ran California into the ground | Opinion<\/a><\/p>\n