MERCED, Calif. — Central Valley voters favor President Donald Trump and Congress more than the rest of California, according to a new report released this week by the Public Policy Institute of California.
The report, which surveyed likely voters throughout the state between Feb. 4-11, found 35% of voters in the Central Valley support the president and 26% support Congress.
Those numbers are higher than the statewide average — the Inland Empire was the only region to favor Trump more with 40%. Statewide, 30% of voters approve of President Trump’s performance so far – it’s a similar number to the start of his first term.
Though, voters in the Valley held the most favorability for Congress.
The PPIC asked voters if they thought the president and Congress would accomplish a lot this year. Roughly 41% said they believe the branches of government will work together and accomplish a lot in the year. There was a slightly lower optimism statewide.
This favorability data shows a glimpse into how voters view the new Trump administration. Since Trump took office for a second time in January, he has signed a flurry of executive orders on immigration, water and diversity, equity and inclusion. Many of those topics have directly affected issues and voters in the San Joaquin Valley.
Voter views on immigration
Trump has moved fast to sign orders that crack down on immigration and on immigrants in the country without legal status. He has also made attempts to end birthright citizenship. Several courts have already stalled some of Trump’s plans.
Executive orders are not the same as federal laws. According to organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union, executive orders are simply written directives that government agencies interpret to ensure laws are properly followed. But they do not override federal laws and statutes in place.
A majority – 72% – of Californians believe immigrants are a benefit to the state because of their hard work, according to the PPIC survey. While it is unknown how many immigrants without legal status actually live in the Central Valley, some estimates put that figure at around 8% of the population.
Despite this, many voters in the Valley told the PPIC they support a stricter border between the U.S. and Mexico. In the Central Valley, 46% of likely voters said they support declaring a national emergency at the southern border and 43% want to end asylum entirely, and close the border to those without legal status.
Many Valley voters also signaled they would support an end to birthright citizenship, which gives anyone born in the state legal authorization no matter the status of their biological parents. On this order, roughly 34% of voters in the Valley support the idea. Voters in other parts of the state hold a much more negative view of that effort.
Voter views on state issues
The PPIC also asked voters about issues affecting the state. When it comes to environmental threats, the survey found 40% of Valley residents feel wildfires are a big problem in their part of the state, compared to 53% of residents in the Los Angeles and Inland Empire regions. In January, massive wildfires broke out in Los Angeles County and destroyed thousands of structures and killed just over two dozen people.
Despite worries about wildfire disasters, many voters do not hold high confidence in their government’s ability to deal with the problem. Less than a third of voters in all parts of the state held positive views about the government’s potential response.
There were some bright spots in the PPIC survey. Voters say they hold a favorable view of Proposition 4 – a $10 billion climate bond voters passed last year.
Gov. Gavin Newsom recently proposed spending $2.7 billion from the bond this year, which a strong majority of the state’s voters favored.
