Gov. Gavin Newsom has been pushing back against a ‘Recall Gavin 2020’ campaign that Californians have managed to gather nearly 2.1 million votes for. The recall needs at least 1.5 valid signatures in order to trigger a recall election.
The organized efforts come after the state struggles to emerge from the COVID-19 crisis, including unaffordable housing, rising unemployment rates, record homelessness, skyrocketed crime, schools that have refused to open, and a locked-down population while prisoners roam free. It was also fueled by attacks and restrictions against small businesses and houses of worship, as well as an opposition to the rising state taxes. While Newsom has been blaming Trump supporters, QAnon followers, and ’anti-vax extremists’ for the recall, petition signatures have revealed that the support is bipartisan.
According to Probolsky Research, which polled 900 voters statewide, nearly 45% of Latina voters favor a recall vs. 39% of white voters, 29% of Asian American voters, and 19% of Black voters. Men have also polled more likely to support the recall, with 44% of males vs. 37% of females.
President of the nonpartisan opinion research firm Adam Probolsky said that Latino voters have felt disproportionately impacted “health-wide and economically” by the state under Newsom’s leadership.
The poll results even revealed that most Latino voters are “party-line Democrats,” accounting for nearly 40% of the population. 58% of Latino voters are Democrats compared to 16% who are Republican, and about 20% who say they are independent. Latino voters have been hit the hardest by job losses and the state not stemming the spread of COVID-19 in Latino neighborhoods.
Linda Martinez-Hanna, a Latino voter who has attended recall Newsom rallies, said she’s been frustrated by the numerous business closures across California, as well as the massive state taxes they pay. “I wasn’t happy with Newsom. He wants to control what we’re doing,” she said.
Many GOP lawmakers and Californias also lashed out against Newsom for his choice to dine maskless at one of the most expensive restaurants in the state, The French Laundry, last year during the pandemic. He made this choice in the midst of telling citizens to “stay home,” as well as keeping schools and small businesses closed.
Many Democrats, including Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, have rejected that they would run a back-up candidate in Newsom’s recall election. Even House Speaker Nancy Pelosi shared during a recent news conference that she thinks it’s an “unnecessary notion” and even suggested that the recall efforts are being funded by Trump supporters. Even after Trump left office, the Trump derangement syndrome really kicks in with Dems. “I think that the governor will defeat this quite successfully, and we’ll all help him do that,” Pelosi adds.
The movement has been led by former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer who said Californians are ready to reduce homelessness, keep neighborhoods safe, and foster a business climate that supports California jobs. Faulconer is also the Republican gubernatorial candidate for office.
“Our statewide movement has taken a giant step toward removing Gavin Newsom from office. Over 2.1 million Californians — Democrats, Republicans, and Independents — have signed this recall petition and made it clear that they are ready to turn the page on an elitist administration that has disregarded science while hurting millions of California families,” Faulconer wrote in a statement.
The petition signatures were turned in to California’s 58 counties and election officials have until April 29 to validate all of the signatures. Republican John Cox is also looking to run for governor against Newsom. While Newsom is likely to face a recall election later this year, Democrats have just continued to scramble and show a united front to keep him in office. There are polls suggesting that Tom Steyer, a former Democratic presidential candidate, could run against Newsom, but no official statements have been released.
The supposedly ‘best of the best’ democratic leaders, including Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and California Gov. Gavin Newsom, are all in the midst of being recalled by their own state over scandals and catastrophic handling of the pandemic. That’s not a coincidence.
