SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California voters appear ready for a change in direction after Gov. Gavin Newsom’s eight years in office, but a new survey suggests they may still favor another Democrat over a Republican in the race to succeed him. The Citrin-POLITICO poll found that most registered voters rated Newsom’s performance as “poor” or “fair.” Just 36% called it “good” or “excellent,” while 28% said they want the next governor to continue his policies. Despite those signs of dissatisfaction, Democrat Xavier Becerra leads Republican Steve Hilton by 20 percentage points, the survey found. Becerra, described in the poll report as a mainstream Democrat who strongly praised Newsom during the primary, appears to be drawing support from voters seeking both continuity and change. Jon Cohen, founder and chief executive of TrueDot, which conducted the poll, said Becerra wins over voters who want to preserve the current approach and also attracts nearly a third of those calling for a different direction. The findings point to a gap between Californians’ views of the outgoing governor’s record and their preference in the successor contest. Voters’ stated appetite for a policy shift has not, so far, translated into a comparable advantage for Hilton, according to the survey. The poll’s figures offer an early snapshot of the political challenge facing candidates in a state where dissatisfaction with the incumbent does not necessarily mean voters are ready to hand power to the opposing party.