“In the early going it was probably more about whether they liked Newsom or not. It was personalized,” said Mark DiCamillo, director of the poll. “By attacking his challenger, which is Elder, and framing it as ‘Look at what you’ll get if you vote for this guy’ ... I think that really won the day.”

The poll found that 65% of likely voters — and 89% of likely Democratic voters and 64% of independent voters — thought electing a conservative Republican governor would threaten the state’s well-established progressive policies on climate change, immigration, healthcare and abortion.

“It’s changed the whole dynamic of the vote,” DiCamillo said. “It’s raised fear among voters and I think that fear has increased the engagement of Democrats.”

Juan Rodriguez, manager for Newsom’s anti-recall campaign, said he was not surprised by the increasing opposition to the recall. Along with a massive get-out-the-vote effort, the campaign enlisted help from Democratic Party heavyweights to urge Californians to scuttle the recall, including former President Obama, Vice President Kamala Harris and Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota along with independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.