Exclusive: Poll: Vehicle mileage tax in California garners 8 percent support in Southern California district

Almost no one supports one of the Democrats' top priorities, according to an exclusive poll we obtained.

A now-shelved proposal by a regional California transit authority to track and tax drivers on a per-mile basis only garnered eight percent support, according to a poll that Rep. Darrell Issa (R., Calif.) commissioned.

The poll, first reported by the Washington Reporter, was commissioned in Issa’s San Diego district. In order to ensure that southern California does not ever see such a proposal enacted, Issa rolled out the “No Track No Tax Act” that would “ban mileage taxes and eliminate mileage trackers.” His poll, which interviewed almost 3,000 of his constituents, found 94.4 percent support for his measure.

With Vice President Kamala Harris, a former California senator likely to easily win the Golden State, down-ballot Republicans are focusing on defeating some of the state’s most progressive policies.

Kevin Lincoln, the Republican mayor of Stockton, told the Reporter that vehicle mileage taxes would “impact every aspect of our daily lives  — whether it’s commuting to and from work, the cost of groceries, housing, or even medical expenses,” adding that “the price of goods and services will rise, putting even more strain on families struggling to make ends meet.” 

Lincoln is holding Rep. Josh Harder (D., Calif.) to under 50 percent in recent polling, a California Republican strategist told the Reporter.

Beyond opposing higher taxes, California Republicans are also backing a ballot measure they say would stem the further legalization of crime throughout California. Rep. Vince Fong (R., Calif.) recently penned an op-ed about his support for Proposition 36, which he said would “undo the damage caused by the state’s top Democratic leaders, including Vice President Kamala Harris, Gov. Gavin Newsom and their progressive allies like Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon.”

Fong, who told the Reporter that he also opposes potential vehicle mileage taxes, added that Newsom’s refinery mandate that would “force refineries to withhold supply from the market” gives Republicans further campaign trail fodder.