Gavin Newsom
The official effort to remove California Gov. Gavin Newsom from office began in June, and is closer to becoming a costly reality with unlimited fundraising. It may be a smart move to make inroads with the potential replacements — the list below has links to explore their pasts.
Newsom has been criticized for a variety of reasons, including high taxes, his opposition to capital punishment, and the way he has handled the pandemic. Newsom’s approval rating continues to decline which resulted in over 2 million signatures on the recall petitions. If there are at least 1.49 million valid signatures, then a recall election will most likely be set for October. Newsom is fighting back against the recall, claiming it’s an effort by the far right.
What is a recall election?
A recall election is a process in which voters can remove an elected official from office. First, a petition must reach a predetermined number of valid signatures that represent a certain percentage of the votes cast in the last gubernatorial election — for California, it is 12%. Once the votes are verified, the lieutenant governor will select the date of the recall election. On the day of the election, ballots would have two questions. First, whether voters believe Newsom should be removed from office. If they vote yes, the second question is a list of candidates that would replace him. If a majority vote “yes” to the first question, the candidate with the most votes in question two would win the election. The replacement would then serve the rest of Newsom’s term which ends on Jan. 2, 2023.
Potential Candidates
Below is a list of people who have declared or expressed interest in running for governor in a recall election:
- Former 2018 California Republican gubernatorial candidate John Cox
- San Diego Metropolitan Transit System Board Member Kevin Faulconer
- U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council Member Richard Grenell
- Former Congressional Republican Candidate of California’s 25th District Daniel Mercuri
- Former Sen. John Moorlach
- Republican Main Street Partnership Board Member Doug Ose
