Gavin Newsom: California governor launches campaign to stop recall efforts against him

A new website launched by Newsom, a Democrat, to fight the recall effort, is seeking donations and support and is accompanied by a 30-second ad that calls the effort a “takeover.” The spot blames “violent white supremacists like the Proud Boys, who attacked our nation’s Capitol on January 6” for the push that threatens Newsom’s political future.

Newsom’s recall effort began last year, fueled by anger over restrictions it had put in place to curb the spread of the coronavirus in California, but it has gained momentum as prominent State Republicans threw their weight behind organizing and fundraising efforts. Supporters of the recall have gained momentum in recent weeks, with campaign leaders collecting more than a million signatures last month.

The governor defended his pandemic-related decisions on behalf of California’s 40 million people during his state-of-the-state address last week, insisting that science was behind his critical choices made during the year of the pandemic.

“We were worried about the sacrifices this would require,” he said of the implementation of the stay-at-home country’s first order last year. “We made sure that science – not politics – guided our decisions.”

The newly launched counterattack has big names backing Newsom, including Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Alex Padilla of California and Cory Booker of New Jersey, as well as Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont. California Reps Katie Porter and Ro Khanna, both Democrats, also back the effort, as does Georgia’s voting rights advocate Stacey Abrams.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said President Joe Biden was against efforts to topple Newsom.

The California Democratic Party contributed $ 250,000 to Newsom’s pushback effort, while the Republican National Committee contributed the same amount to make the recall happen.

If the recall effort qualifies, it is unclear which month it would land on the California ballot, as there is a series of bureaucratic measures that must take place at different levels of state government before the state lieutenant governor can officially call the recall election.