Voters in the western state of California will go to a polling station on Tuesday to decide whether to remove Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom in the recall election.
Late Monday, Newsom attended the last campaign rally in the southern city of Long Beach with US President Joe Biden, urging Democrats to participate in the polls and rejecting the recall.
“The nation’s eyes are focused on California,” President Biden told the crowd, “because the decision you are about to make will not only have a huge impact on California, but will also have a national repercussion, and quite frankly, this is not a joke. All over the world.”
The recall was initiated by Republicans who were angry about Newsom’s strict COVID-19 regulations throughout the pandemic, including the closure of schools and restrictions on small businesses such as bars and restaurants. The organizers obtained enough signatures from registered voters to force a ballot recall.
Californians were asked to vote for or against Newsom’s removal. If enough voters choose “yes”, then the candidate with a simple majority of votes will replace Newsom. Voter surveys revealed that the staunch conservative radio talk show host Larry Elder is the main candidate among more than 40 potential successors. He will serve for the remainder of Newsom’s tenure. This term will end next year.
Newsom is a prominent figure among national Democrats, having previously served as mayor of the city of San Francisco and California lieutenant governor before he was elected governor in 2018. His defeat in a state dominated by Democrats could signal major problems for Biden and congressional Democrats heading Enter next year’s mid-term legislative elections. But recent surveys show that Newsom is in a leading position in the campaign.
He is the second California governor to face a vote for removal. The first in 2003 removed the Democrat Gray Davis and appointed the popular Hollywood actor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The Democratic Party is running. YouTube creator Kevin Paffrath (Kevin Paffrath) is the most famous of the nine Democrats.
