A petition to recall unpopular California Governor Gavin Newsom has reached 1.5 million signatures, which is enough to potentially trigger a special election. Whilst this is not the first recall campaign that Newsom has faced, it is the most popular, and is a display of just how much Californians have come to dislike their Governor. Newsom, a Democrat, has become hated by many recently for his poor handling of the pandemic, including one instance in which he broke his own rules, which has resulted in his approval rate plummeting from 60% to 46% in just four months.
Under California law, if 12% of the number of voters who voted in the last election sign a petition calling for the recall of the incumbent Governor, Californians can then vote. The ballot would have two questions. First, it would ask whether or not Newsom should be recalled, and then it would ask who Californians think should replace him if the vote for ‘Yes’ is over 50%.
However, whilst the Recall Gavin 2020 campaign has garnered about 1.5 million signatures so far, which is enough to trigger a recount, its organisers say that it is aiming to reach 2 million before it has the petition certified, as usually around 20% of signatures are discarded during the verification process for various legitimate reasons, meaning that their present total of 1.5 million may not actually be enough. A signature tally of 2 million, however, would almost certainly carry the campaign across the finish line and trigger a vote.
National Republicans recently invested $250,000 in efforts to recall Newsom, as they have their eyes firmly set on replacing him with a GOP candidate. Their hopes are not unfounded. The last time a Californian Governor was recalled was in 2003, when Democrat Gray Davis was replaced with Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger. If Newsom is recalled, and it is looking increasingly likely that he will be, it opens up the door for the California GOP, which has been struggling ever since Schwarzenegger left office in 2011.
An issue that will certainly come up should there be a recall election will be Newsom’s handling of the pandemic, which his critics often call inadequate. Newsom’s decisions surrounding key issues such as the economy and schools have frustrated California residents, and his inadequate support of hospitals has left them short of equipment and struggling to deal with the high amounts of coronavirus patients. A lack of transparency in Newsom’s administration has also been the source of much criticism.
Whilst currently 45% of Californians oppose recalling Newsom, and only 36% support it, it now seems highly likely that Californians will get to vote on their Governor’s future. After months of criticism from both sides of the political spectrum, a repeat of 2003 now seems like a very real possibility. Whilst if a Republican was to replace Newsom they would almost certainly be very moderate, a red California would be the respite the GOP needs after a difficult few months.
Credits:
Recall Newsom campaign reaches enough signatures to potentially trigger special election | Fox News
How do California governor recalls work? (foxla.com)
National Republicans dive into Newsom recall with $250,000 investment – CBS News
California’s governor, once praised, faces backlash over pandemic response (msn.com)
