Gov. Gavin Newsom will remain the leader of the most populous state in the nation, following Tuesday’s Special Recall Election. The Associated Press declared Newsom victorious an hour after polls closed Tuesday night, and as of Wednesday morning, the Governor widened his lead by double digits.
According to the L.A. Times, 63.9 percent of voters voted “no” on question one, opting to keep Newsom in his role, with 68 percent of votes counted. Multiple media outlets have already declared the results a landslide victory for Newsom.
Largely seen as a referendum on Newsom’s strict COVID protocols, the recall was spun by Democrats as a conservative power grab. The original petition to recall Newsom was set in motion prior to the pandemic, with organizers calling out Newsom’s progressive views against the death penalty and support for undocumented workers, in addition to California’s growing homeless population.
As noted by the L.A. Times:
The large margin of Newsom’s victory provides the governor with a mandate to continue pursuing liberal policies on issues such as healthcare, climate change and immigration. Roger Salazar, a Democratic consultant who served as press secretary for former Gov. Gray Davis, said he expects Newsom to emphasize homelessness, crime, wildfire preparation and the pandemic between now and next year’s election.
L.A. Times
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