California Governor Gavin Newsom Survives Recall Attempt

California Governor, Gavin Newsom has survived a recall election seeking to oust him from office.

Gatekeepers News reports that Newsom, a Democrat, found himself at the centre of the country’s divisions over COVID-19 and mandates aiming to keep people safe. He was at first commended for his efforts to curb the spread, but after months of tight restrictions and public flubs, these same efforts led to the fourth governorship recall election in U.S. history.

The first-term governor, however, centred the race around some main issues that could be key in 2022; COVID-19 mandates, abortion, workers rights and former President Donald Trump.

The voters were asked two questions on their ballot: Should Newsom be recalled? If more than 50% of voters said yes, then the next question was key: Who should replace him?

Newsom, in less than an hour of polls closing in the state, was declared the winner by The Associated Press, NBC News and CNN on Tuesday.

“I’m humbled and grateful to the millions and millions of Californians that exercised their fundamental right to vote, and expressed themselves so overwhelmingly by rejecting the division,” said Newsom who got a boost from President Joe Biden on the eve of the election.

Biden made an appearance in Long Beach, California, on Monday, told voters at a campaign rally that the “eyes of the nation are on California.” He warned that removing Newsom would carry consequences that would reverberate around the nation and risk returning to the “dark, destructive, divisive politics” of Trump.

Meanwhile, Republican frontrunner and conservative radio host, Larry Elder who tagged Biden as a “Trump clone,” predicted victory.

“Make sure you have your friends vote, vote, vote, and try and get 10 more friends to vote and hit every call, make every call, knock on every door, we’re gonna win this thing if we turn out the vote,” Elder said this week.

Other prominent Republican candidates who were eyeing Newsom’s seat include Caitlyn Jenner, a former Olympic gold medalist who starred on the reality series “Keeping Up with the Kardashians”; former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer; California Assemblyman Kevin Kiley; and John Cox, a businessman who was easily defeated by Newsom in the 2018 governorship election.

Kevin Paffrath, a real estate broker and YouTube personality, was the only leading Democratic candidate who had emerged in the race.

Gatekeepers News reports that only twice in U.S. history had a governor been removed from office via recall. The first was in North Dakota in 1921; and in California in 2003, when Gray Davis was removed and replaced by Arnold Schwarzenegger.