Gavin Newsom Wins In Blowout

Yahoo News: California Gov. Gavin Newsom survived a historic recall election Tuesday, winning a major vote of confidence during a COVID-19 pandemic that has shattered families and livelihoods and tested his ability to lead the state through the largest worldwide health crisis in modern times.

The recall offered Republicans their best chance in more than a decade to take the helm of the largest state in the union. But the effort was undercut when Newsom and the nation’s leading Democrats, aided by visits to California by President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, portrayed the campaign to oust the governor as a “life and death” battle against “Trumpism” and far-right anti-vaccine activists.

Conservative talk show host Larry Elder led the 46 candidates on the second question on the ballot hoping to become governor, but that became meaningless after a majority of California voters chose to keep Newsom in office.

JENNER: ‘You get the government you deserve’

Caitlyn Jenner expressed shock on Tuesday night when voters turned out in force to vote “no” on the recall effort against California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), telling reporters, “It’s a shame.”

The Republican reality TV star was one of 46 candidates vying to replace Newsom; with 62 percent of the estimated vote in, she received 1.2 percent. 

Jenner slammed Newsom, saying he “didn’t campaign on not one of his successes, because he doesn’t have any,” and then chided those who voted against the recall. “I can’t believe that this many people actually voted to keep him in office,” Jenner said. “It’s a shame, honestly, it’s a shame. You kind of get the government you deserve.”

Exit polls show SUPPORT for Covid restrictions

California Gov. Gavin Newsom staved off an attempt to remove him from office Tuesday, prevailing in the state’s unusual recall election, NBC News projects.

Newsom, a Democrat, faced serious headwinds and multiple crises as polls over the summer showed him in real jeopardy. But Newsom, with the help of party leaders including President Joe Biden, succeeded in rousing Democratic voters with a message that warned a Republican replacement would roll back Covid protections and betray the state’s progressive character.

The recall election asked voters whether Newsom should be removed — “yes” or “no” — and gave voters who wanted him ousted the choice of 46 alternatives.

Newsom thanked California voters for keeping him in office.

“We said yes to science. We said yes to vaccines,” Newsom said in brief remarks at a news conference. “We said yes to ending his pandemic. We said yes to people’s right to vote without fear. We said yes to women’s constitutional right to decide.”

Anti-Trump Strategy Offers Republicans Warning

By emphatically turning back the effort to recall him from office, however, Mr. Newsom made clear that California’s cherished role presaging the politics of tomorrow was not as significant as another, larger factor in Tuesday’s results: the tribal politics of today.

The first-term Democratic governor will remain in office because, in a deeply liberal state, he effectively nationalized the recall effort as a Republican plot, making a flame-throwing radio host the Trump-like face of the opposition to polarize the electorate along red and blue lines.

Mr. Newsom found success not because of what makes California different but because of how it’s like everywhere else: He dominated in California’s heavily populated Democratic cities, the key to victory in a state where his party outnumbers Republicans by five million voters.

87% In San Fran; 71% In La; 59% In San Diego

CNN projects that Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom will not be recalled by California voters. The grassroots effort to oust Newsom was launched in 2020 by a group of conservative Californians critical of the Democratic governor’s record on immigration, taxes, the death penalty and the state’s homelessness crisis, among other issues. But their quest to collect enough signature petitions to force a recall election took off late last year amid anger about Newsom’s Covid-19 stay-at-home orders and other restrictions.