Gavin Newsom will remain as California’s governor

As was suspected on this site, Governor Newsom survived recall efforts. Initial polling showed a tight race between “yes” and “no”. However, the article reported that it “broke” in favor of the governor. The article goes on to explain that Newsom had a larger expenditure plan, that Democrats outnumber Republicans by a large number, and that the governor had the backing of Joe Biden.

From CNBC:

The gubernatorial recall effort was the second in California’s history to qualify for the ballot, giving Republicans a chance to seize power in an otherwise deep-blue state.

Voters were asked two questions: should Newsom be replaced, and if he is recalled, who out of his 46 opponents in the election should take his place?

Newsom, who was elected by an overwhelming margin in 2018 to a term that would end in 2023, spent months trying to fend off the Republican-led effort that gained traction last year over allegations that he mishandled the state’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Nearly 1.5 million Californians signed the recall petition due to frustrations over state-issued health orders and the appearance of a maskless Newsom at a dinner party at a posh Napa Valley restaurant during the height of surging Covid cases.

The recall effort became just one of the several crises that Newsom, steward of the biggest state economy in the United States, had to juggle in the past year, in addition to wildfires, drought, rising costs of living and, of course, the pandemic. Fresh data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that Covid transmission rates in California are dropping.

Polling over the summer showed more of a tight race in the recall election but recently shifted in Newsom’s favor.

His campaign drove turnout among complacent Democratic voters, who outnumber Republicans in the state’s electorate by 2 to 1, as they gained a colossal lead in early mail-in ballot returns.

CNBC has more on the story.

Category: Politics