Poll finds 64% of voters back the measure across party lines, with support expected to grow as voters learn about impacts of federal healthcare cuts
LOS ANGELES – A new poll from UC Berkeley Citrin Center for Public Opinion Research-POLITICO shows strong support for the proposed California Billionaire Tax, with voters backing the measure by nearly a 2-to-1 margin, indicating a clear path to victory if the election were held today.
According to the survey, 64% of voters favor the billionaire tax, with 50% of respondents expressing strong support, and an additional 14% saying they lean towards supporting the proposal. Just 28% oppose it. Taken together, the findings demonstrate that California voters favor the proposal at nearly a 2-to-1 margin, underscoring broad public support for a common-sense tax on billionaires.
Campaign leaders say the results are particularly encouraging because the poll did not include information about the risk that massive federal budget cuts pose to California’s healthcare system, or the measure’s purpose: to keep local hospitals and emergency rooms open. It also focused on false and disproven narratives.
“Clearly California voters support this proposal by a wide margin,” said Suzanne Jimenez, Chief of Staff at SEIU United Healthcare Workers West (SEIU-UHW), lead sponsor of the ballot measure. “And as they learn more about the true impacts of federal healthcare cuts, and that their local emergency room might be forced to close its doors forever unless billionaires pay a small, one-time tax, we’re confident support for the measure will continue to grow.”
The campaign also rejected several of the false narratives advanced by the poll, including the myth of billionaires leaving the state to avoid the one-time tax, and the loss of income tax revenue that would result.
California’s roughly 200 billionaires had until January 1, 2026 to change their official state of residence in order to not be subject to the proposed tax that aims to prevent hospital and ER closures. That deadline has now passed, and despite sensationalized claims, the myth of the billionaire exodus has fallen apart.
Exaggerated claims that the proposed California billionaire tax will “backfire” by disproportionately eroding the state’s income tax revenue have proven false as well. This is both because billionaires have not fled the state en masse, and because most billionaires pay such little income tax proportionate to their wealth that any loss in revenue would pale in comparison to what the California billionaire tax will generate to save healthcare and the state’s economy.
The campaign also noted that the survey included a group identified as “policy influencers,” whose responses were more skeptical than those of the general voting population. Campaign officials emphasized that the views of this small, insider-focused audience are not reflective of broader public opinion.
With a strong base of support already in place and additional voter education efforts underway, campaign leaders say the poll confirms that the California billionaire tax is well-positioned heading into the next phase of the campaign.
Supporters of the billionaire tax note how successful other wealth taxes have been in states across the country. Measures such as the Massachusetts Fair Share Amendment and Washington State’s capital gains tax have generated billions in new revenue for public services, and the number of high-income residents AND their cumulative wealth in both states have increased since the policies went into effect.
In addition, tax experts have underscored that what makes the billionaire tax unique is how it’s designed to be fair and enforceable — so billionaires can’t avoid responsibility by moving their assets or claiming residency elsewhere after the now-passed January 1, 2026 deadline for residency changes.
The billionaire tax ballot measure will give Californians the opportunity to vote “yes” to save their healthcare, with 90% of funds raised going toward stabilizing the state’s healthcare system and protecting healthcare for all Californians, and 10% funding food aid and supporting K-14 public education.
Impact of federal healthcare cuts
- Dozens of hospitals and ERs will close; dozens more will be forced to cut back services and lay off healthcare workers. The patient care crisis will worsen as patients are forced to wait longer and drive further for medical care.
- Up to 3.4 million Californians could lose their healthcare coverage under Medicaid, including many seniors, children, veterans, and people with disabilities
- The state could lose about $30 billion in federal healthcare funding every year — destabilizing the health care system and driving up health care costs for everyone.
- Insurance premiums for Californians who purchase Affordable Care Act plans could rise as much as 97%, and an estimated 400,000 Californians could be priced out of healthcare altogether.
Impact of food assistance cuts
- Currently, 5.5 million Californians benefit from food aid. 3.5 million are senior citizens and children.
- At least 754,000 people could lose their entire monthly benefit, with over 3 million households facing reductions.
- The estimated funding loss is $2.5 to $4.5 billion annually.
The SNAP/Cal-Fresh cuts, if not backfilled by other funding mechanisms, are expected to cost California approximately 400,000 jobs over the next nine years.
About the California Billionaire Tax Act
The California Billionaire Tax Act proposes a one-time emergency tax on the wealth of the state’s ultra-high-net-worth individuals to safeguard Medi-Cal, keep hospitals and emergency rooms open, expand food assistance, and support public education. The initiative is a direct response to federal healthcare cuts under HR1 that threaten healthcare access and economic stability for millions of Californians.
| Paid for by Save California Health Care and Public Education, Sponsored by Service Employees International Union – United Healthcare Workers West. Committee’s Top Funder Service Employees International Union – United Healthcare Workers West |
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