California Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom will keep his position as the country’s most populated state’s leader. In Tuesday’s recall vote for California’s beleaguered first-term liberal governor, a large percentage of Californians chose no, indicating they do not want Newsom removed from office.
Newsom, who’d been decisively elected governor of the heavily liberal state in 2018, was fighting a recall campaign launched last year. This happened primarily over allegations that he bungled his state’s reaction to the coronavirus, the world’s worst pandemic in a generation.
No isn’t the only message that was voiced [tonight], the California governor (who strolled to a huge victory) stated shortly after the Associated Press predicted his win.
“California says yes to scientists, yes to vaccinations, yes to stopping this pandemic”
STATUS QUO: California Rejects the Recall, Keeps Gavin Newsom as Governor https://t.co/S2Lslnwi7l
— Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) September 15, 2021
After followers booed when he announced Newsom’s name, radio talk show presenter Larry Elder (who was the frontrunner among some of the 46 gubernatorial alternative contenders) said, “Let’s be courteous in the loss.”
“[Republicans] may well have lost the fight, but we are going to be winning the war,” Elder added. He perhaps hinted at a repeat next year when Newsom is seeking reelection for another full four-year tenure.
Ballot papers were sent to California’s projected 22 million registered voters in August; they were then to be certified or turned in by 8 p.m. PT on election day.
On the Newsom recalling ballots, voters were presented with two choices
The first vote was whether the governor should be fired. The follow-up question provided a list of people running to succeed Newsom if more than half of those polled supported his removal. If Newsom was dismissed, the candidate who got the most votes on the final question would have taken his place.
Analysis: GOP suffers historically large embarrassment in California recall https://t.co/kR45fo7z92
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) September 15, 2021
After Newsom’s dinner at an ultra-exclusive restaurant last October, which – at best – skirted guidelines established by the governor to control the spread of the coronavirus, the recall campaign exploded.
The governor’s activities were widely viewed as unethical and the images made him appear out of touch at a time when numerous Californians were experiencing hardship.
In April, state election workers declared that the recall movement surpassed the 1.5 million petition signatures required for inclusion on the ballot (equal to 12% of the vote in the 2018 California governor’s race).
The special election would be placed on September 14, according to California’s lieutenant governor, who declared it in early July. Meanwhile, the Department of Finance predicted that the vote would cost $276 million to conduct.
Newsom and his campaign staff spent a few months trying to demonize the recall campaign by labeling it a Republican “coup attempt.” The besieged governor relied on well-known and impactful Democrats and liberals in recent months.
Newsom tried to notify and encourage California Democrats to end up voting. His support came from the likes of Vice President Kamala Harris, former President Barack Obama, Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, and Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.
