California voted against impeachment of Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom

The Democratic Governor of California, Gavin Newsom, forcefully defeated the Republican-led impeachment attempt, US news networks predicted Tuesday.

With over 60% of the votes counted statewide, canals CNN and NBC said Gavin Newsom prevailed after around two-thirds of voters backed the incumbent president in the referendum Recall led by Republicans.

According to the first results of the special election on Tuesday, 67.9% of the voters were against the revocation of the mandate and 32.1% in favor of the measure, with the partial postponement of 16.7% of the polling centers.

“‘No’ is not the only thing that has been expressed tonight”, Newsom told Sacramento moments after the race ended.

“I want to focus on what we said yes, as a state. We said yes to science, we said yes to vaccines. We said yes to end this pandemic. “

The special elections called by the Conservatives They wanted more than 50% of voters to vote for impeachment and be able to choose the replacement from the 46 candidates who ran.

California, considered the fifth largest economy in the world, It is a Democratic stronghold in the United States but the Republicans have managed to call a special election, the second in the history of the state, accusing Newsom of mismanaging the coronavirus pandemic, among other allegations.

Although the polls were on Newsom’s side, the gap narrowed a few months ago, prompting Democrats to rally, and even President Joe Biden came on Monday to support the governor.

The referendum, It was a contest the Democratic governor designed as part of the national battle for his party’s values. in the face of the coronavirus pandemic and the persistent threats of “Trumpism”.

Newsom reportedly garnered 58% of the support of Latino voters according to exit polls, as reported by the media Politics.

At a press conference Newsom hinted at the fragility of democracy and said: “We could have beaten (former President Donald) Trump, but Trumpism is not dead in this country.”

The Democrat also referred to Republican attacks, such as the Jan. 6 uprising on Capitol Hill, the crackdown and the latest attack on women’s reproductive rights in Texas.

The victory consolidates Newsom as a prominent figure in democratic national politics and preserves his future prospects in the USA.

THE CONTENTS

Some 46 candidates aspired to the booty of power that California represents. Mainstream politicians were arguing for him alongside a YouTube star and Caitlyn Jenner of the Kardashian clan.

Newsom’s main opponent was Larry Elder, a 69-year-old right-wing radio host who openly supported former President Donald Trump.

Elder copied Trump’s election strategy for 2020 and launched on Monday evening a website denouncing the fraud and attacking the authorities “Investigate and improve the skewed results” of the election.

The ballot asked, first, whether Newsom should be fired and, second, who should replace him.

If I haven’t won, the candidate having obtained the most votes in the second question would replace him regardless of the number of votes obtained.

THE ELECTORS

Mary Beth, 63 years old and A store owner said she voted Tuesday in Los Angeles to “get rid of Newsom.” because “the virus has created chaos in our economy but it has worsened everything with its confinements”.

“There were other ways to handle this and he should have put business first, ”he said.

Democrats criticized the cost of the consultation, estimated at around $ 280 million, and said it was nothing more than an attempt by the Republicans to hijack the government from the state and seize power as they could not at the polls.

A survey by Spectrum News and IPSOS released on Tuesday found that two-thirds of registered voters saw the referendum as an attempt to seize political power.

THE SECOND REFERENDUM

Although Newsom won comfortably in 2018, California electoral rules make it easier to call recall referendums.

Those who are unhappy with the sovereign They can call the election if they get the signature of 12% of the voters who participated in the previous election. In this case, the amount was 1.5 million.

California has 40 million inhabitants.

“This referendum is ridiculous”said Jake, a 38-year-old tech worker who voted in Los Angeles on Tuesday, declining to give his last name.

“I did the math and, even if all registered voters vote, it could cost more than $ 12 per vote ”added. “A lot of people could have had that for breakfast this morning.”

This referendum is only the second to materialize in the history of California. The former appointed actor Arnold Schwarzenegger governor in 2003, after the defeat in the election of Gray Davis.

Schwarzenegger, who was in power for more than seven years, he was the last Republican governor of California.

(With information from AFP and EFE)

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