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Gov. Gavin Newsom blasted Monday to critics’ effort to remove him from office, calling him a “Republican recall” fueled by backers from former President Trump and warning that it could hurt California’s efforts to respond to the pandemic.
A coalition of national Democratic leaders also spoke out against the recall, and the state party pledged $ 250,000 for a campaign in Newsom’s defense, a coordinated effort that could signal a concession that the governor’s opponents have raised enough money. signatures of voters to force a special election later that year.
“I am not going to accept this attempted recall on the ground,” Newsom said in an email sent from his political campaign. “I will fight because there is too much at stake right now.”
Wednesday is the deadline for supporters of the recall to submit all petitions signed by voters to election offices in California’s 58 counties. Supporters last week said they collected some 2 million signatures, more than the roughly 1.5 million needed to trigger a recall election. Election officials have until April 29 to complete their review of the signatures to determine how many are valid.
Newsom had largely declined to comment on the recall until Monday, insisting he was only focusing on his administration’s efforts to reduce the spread of the coronavirus and ensure millions of Californians receive the COVID vaccine. -19. Friday will mark the first anniversary of his broad stay-at-home order in response to the pandemic outbreak.
In an interview with KQED Public Media last week, Newsom pointed out that the recall petition was filed before the current public health crisis and that his supporters cited opposition to his pro-immigrant and pro-protection policies. ‘environment.
If successful, the petition campaign will only lead to the second re-election for governor held in California and only the fourth in US history. Voters would consider a two-part ballot, asking them first whether to remove Newsom from office and then choose from a list of candidates to replace him if the recall is successful.
A group of prominent National Democrats, including Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Cory Booker of New Jersey, and Independent Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, announced their opposition to the recall on Monday. They were joined by two California lawmakers, Senator Alex Padilla of Los Angeles and Representative Katie Porter of Irvine. Stacey Abrams, a prominent Democratic organizer who ran for Georgia’s 2018 gubernatorial election, also expressed support for Newsom in a press release of a new anti-recall political campaign.
“Gavin Newsom has shown the nation what courageous leadership looks like during the pandemic,” Booker said in a written statement. “Defeating this cynical, Republican recall effort will be one of Democrats’ most important priorities this year.”
The recall campaign has received most of its support from Republicans and is backed by GOP state officials. Earlier this month, his supporters insisted that nearly a third of voters who signed the petitions were not Republicans. But polls have shown him to be far more popular among GOP voters than among Democrats or unaffiliated voters.
A poll released Monday by Emerson College found that only 38% of voters polled said they would vote to remove Newsom if a recall election was held. Forty-two percent said they would vote to keep Newsom in power, with the rest of the voters polled unsure or saying they would not vote in a recall election.
Newsom supporters also released a new campaign ad on Monday noting that some supporters of the recall had also helped spread conspiracy theories related to the November presidential election and had expressed support for groups such as QAnon and the Prouds. Boys.
The governor sought to capitalize on the issue in his Monday email to supporters.
“And let’s say what it is: it’s a partisan and Republican reminder – backed by the [Republican National Committee], anti-mask and anti-vax extremists, and pro-Trump forces who want to overturn the last election and have opposed much of what we have done to fight the pandemic, ”Newsom wrote in the E-mail.
While no Democrats have come forward to say they will run in a recall election to replace Newsom, two prominent Republicans have announced they will seek to serve the remainder of Newsom’s current term. Former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer and 2018 gubernatorial candidate John Cox have both launched exploratory campaigns, criticizing Newsom for his lackluster record in responding to the pandemic.
Several black California congressional leaders said Monday that the criticism was not sufficient reason for a recall election.
“Note my words, if the recall qualifies, this is just the beginning,” said Rep Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles). “We are going to crush it, because we will be united so as not to fall into the trap of a trick to hand over our state to what could be a Republican governor.”
The Emerson College poll showed Newsom could struggle to win a second term if political conditions don’t change. While 57% of California voters polled said they believed the state was headed in the right direction, 58% said they believed the state needed a new governor in the next election slated for 2022 .
Times editor Seema Mehta contributed to this story
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