Could Republican John Cox Surprise California By Picking Up Democrat and Independent Votes?

Could Republican John Cox Surprise California By Picking Up Democrat and Independent Votes?
Published: 05 Jun, 2018
1 min read

He's a political outsider that wants to upend the establishment. He wants tougher immigration policies. He has a strong business background. And his messaging is now reaching an electorate that's growing more and more impatient by the day.

Sound familiar?

Sometimes in politics timing is everything, and for Republican John Cox, it might just be his time.

Yes, in deep blue California the thought of a Republican beating the establishment candidate Democrat Gavin Newsom might be a pipe dream, but Cox just did something that few other candidates have done, single out independent voters and promise to target them.

Cox Wants Independent Voters

In a television interview on primary election day Cox said, "I'm going to reach out to moderate democrats and independents who can't afford to live here."

As reported by IVN, the fight for Governor in California will likely be decided by the independent vote. If the Cox campaign can focus solely on the second largest voting bloc in California, now independents, he could have a shot at winning the election in November.

The latest Public Policy Institute of California PPIC polling data shows Cox and Newsom tied at 18% for the independent vote.

PredictIt Has Cox Losing To Newsom

PredictIt is an new, real money site that tests a bettors knowledge of politics and lets voters make and trade predictions on future events.

The site has a page dedicated to California politics and the primary election. While most experts and the polls agreed that Cox would finish second, those same politicos aren't giving Cox much of a chance in the November General election against Gavin Newsom.

IVP Donate

You Might Also Like

Why Neither Side Wants the Truth About Voter ID
Why Neither Side Wants the Truth About Voter ID
Voter ID is treated like a five-alarm fire in American politics. That reaction says more about our dysfunctional political system than it does about voter ID itself. ...
06 Feb, 2026
-
3 min read
Oklahoma Independents Drive Massive Push to Open Primaries With State Question 836
Oklahoma Independents Drive Massive Push to Open Primaries With State Question 836
While much of the U.S. was slammed with severe winter weather over the weekend, volunteers for Oklahoma State Question 836 – which would end the use of taxpayer-funded closed primaries – made a final push to get their campaign to over 200,000 petition signatures....
27 Jan, 2026
-
3 min read
NEW POLL: California Governor’s Race Sees “None of the Above” Beat the Entire Democratic Field
NEW POLL: California Governor’s Race Sees “None of the Above” Beat the Entire Democratic Field
A new statewide poll conducted by the Independent Voter Project finds California’s independent voters overwhelmingly support the state’s nonpartisan primary system and express broad dissatisfaction with the direction of state politics....
12 Jan, 2026
-
4 min read