[ad_1]
VSCalifornia Governor Gavin Newsom defeated a historic Republican-led recall effort, securing a victory that will likely save his political career and bolster the Democrats’ pursuit of politics.
Newsom easily resisted the attempt to impeach him on Tuesday within three years of his first term. The incomplete returns showed him heading for a landslide victory with around 65% of the vote.
The Democratic governor, who is widely popular in the state, has faced more than 40 opposing candidates eager to take the helm of the Golden State. His main challenger, Larry Elder, a right-wing radio host who opposes minimum wage and gun control, tried to cast doubt on the outcome even before the polls closed on Tuesday.
Newsom did not host a night before or election night celebration. Instead, he took a somber tone when speaking to reporters on Tuesday night, saying, “Tonight I am humbled, grateful, but purposeful.
“No is not the only thing that has been expressed tonight,” Newsom said. “We said yes to science, we said yes to vaccines, we said yes to the end of this pandemic.
“Democracy is not football. You don’t throw it away. It’s more like, I don’t know, an antique vase, ”he added. “You can drop it, smash it into a million different pieces – and that’s what we’re capable of doing if we don’t stand up to face the moment and push back.”
“A choice of life or death”
Led by Republicans opposed to Newsom’s progressive policies, the recall effort gained momentum at the height of the pandemic amid frustrations over prolonged school closures, trade restrictions and huge delays in schools. state unemployment agencies.
Elder has promised a radical change of course if he is elected as the head of America’s most populous state. He has vowed to remove public health policies, including restrictions on coronaviruses such as mask and vaccine warrants.
“I don’t drink coffee, I drink tea, and when I become governor, assuming there are still warrants for vaccines and warrants for face masks, they will be repealed before I have my first one. cup of tea, ”Elder told supporters at an August rally in central California, where the rise of the Delta variant began to overwhelm hospital intensive care units.
Elder had also spoken out against the minimum wage, criticized the landmark Roe v Wade decision on abortion rights, and promised to select Tory judges and replace 88-year-old Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein with a Republican if given the opportunity. opportunity.
With Elder in the running, Newsom presented the election as a competition between two radically different visions of the future of California and a referendum on the future of Trumpism in American politics. Newsom called Elder “more extreme than Donald Trump” and called the choice between him and the Republican challengers a “choice of life or death.”
California voters made it clear on Tuesday that they did not want a radical change of course. “It is somewhat remarkable that Newsom was able to take hold of the Covid issue, which could have been a fatal weakness for him and turned it into a considerable force,” said Dan Schnur, a professor of politics who advised the candidates republicans.
“Larry Elder handed [Democrats] so many gifts on a tray. He is literally the antithesis of most California voters, ”said Dana Williamson, who was a top advisor to former California Governor Jerry Brown.
News 2022
Newsom’s victory guarantees his ability to stand for re-election in 2022, potentially dismissing any major challenger, and preserves his place as a national political figure.
“Now he wins that, he wins again in 2022 and now we’re all in 2024 and beyond and he’s becoming a viable presidential candidate,” said Jack Citrin, professor of political science at UC Berkeley. “Every crisis is also an opportunity.
After surviving the recall, Newsom will serve another year before being re-elected. “If he had survived by a small margin, it is very likely that another Democrat would have run against him from the left next year,” Schnur said. “But given a landslide like this, it’s very hard to see that happen.”
With just over a year to go, Citrin expects Newsom to avoid “self-inflicted injuries” such as his ill-fated visit to Michelin-starred restaurant French Laundry during the state’s Covid outbreak. last fall, and make a greater effort to connect with Latino voters. “There has been a certain sense in this campaign that he did not have a strong following among Latino voters as you would like given the growing political and electoral power of Latinos.”
Newsom’s victory comes as California faces huge political challenges, including homelessness, a housing shortage that is pushing up already unaffordable house prices and the dual environmental crisis of drought and wildfires. .
California is in the middle of another devastating fire season, and in recent years, flames have razed entire cities, destroyed thousands of homes and killed more than 180 people. Experts have warned that the state’s wildfires are beyond government intervention and decisive leadership is needed to resolve the crisis by taking action on the climate crisis and reintroducing fire to the landscape.
As the state battles the worsening fires, it also faces a devastating drought that has left reservoirs dangerously low, strained the agricultural industry and threatened the electricity supply to hydropower plants. Although the state has spent billions to prepare, experts say more ambitious solutions are still needed to navigate the years to come.
Meanwhile, the costly elections, which could cost the state up to $ 300 million, are sure to raise more questions about reforming the California recall system, which has come under heavy criticism in recent times. last months. Citrin doesn’t see the recall going away anytime soon, but expects there will be efforts to fine-tune the process by requiring more signatures.
Maanvi Singh and the Associated Press contributed to it.
[ad_2]
Source link