More than half of Californians approve of Governor Newsom's job performance. A recent study from the Public Policy Institute of California found that 52-percent of voters and 55-percent of likely voters approved of how the governor handles his job. Newsom's approval is the highest in Los Angeles, followed by the San Francisco Bay Area. The study also found about half of Californians say the cost of living and inflation, housing costs and availability, and the environment are the most important issues for the governor and legislature to tackle this year.