California’s conservatives and Republicans are three times more likely to seriously consider leaving the state than their liberal neighbors, according to a new poll from the University of California at Berkeley.
UC Berkeley polled California voters and found that the demographics most likely to ditch the state were young people citing housing costs and right-leaning residents seeking relief from the political climate and high taxes. Just 14 percent of Democratic voters reported seriously considering leaving the state, compared to 40 percent of conservatives.
“If the people who are giving serious consideration for leaving are indeed going to follow through, the state will continue to get bluer and bluer,” Mark DiCamillo, the director of the Berkeley IGS poll, told The L.A. Times. “That has huge political implications.” (RELATED: Gavin Newsom Signs College Athlete Endorsement Bill)
LOS ANGELES, CA – MAY 30: British artist Chemical X unveils his controversial “Skid Rodeo Drive” Initiative in the homeless ghetto of Skid Row on May 30, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ari Perilstein/Getty Images for Chemical X)
For young voters, housing costs were by far the largest consideration, with 82 percent identifying it as a reason they were leaving, compared with only half pointing to high taxes and the political climate. Meanwhile, 85 percent of Republicans who were seriously considering moving cited an unwelcoming political climate, and 77 percent cited taxes. (RELATED: Report: Trump Wants To Shut Down California Homeless Camps)
The poll found that the biggest indicator of whether a resident has a positive opinion of California is their party affiliation, with Democrats overwhelmingly supporting the state.
“Democrats and political liberals [are more likely] than Republicans and conservatives to describe the state as one of the best places to live. Two in three registered Democrats say this, while among Republicans just 23% offer this assessment,” the study found. “Similarly, while 74% of voters describing themselves as very liberal in politics describe the state as one of the best places, just 19% of those who are very conservative think of California this way.”