Newsom Wins California Recall Election as Elder Concedes Defeat

Contact Your Elected Officials

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has defeated a recall bid seeking to oust him from office, with his chief rival, GOP candidate Larry Elder, conceding defeat.

Elder told a crowd of supporters on Sept. 14 that โ€œwe may have lost the battle, but we are going to win the war,โ€ suggesting his first campaign may not be his last.

Unofficial results of the 2021 gubernatorial recall election as of 2:55 am on Sept. 15 showed Newsom was likely to remain governor of California. Around 63.9 percent of people were counted as voting โ€œnoโ€ in the election, according to the California Secretary of Stateโ€™s Office, while 36.1 percent voted โ€œyes,โ€ with all precincts partially reporting.

Newsom gave a victory speech Tuesday, saying that while Californians voted โ€œnoโ€ on the recall, they said โ€œyesโ€ to his administrationโ€™s goals.

โ€œWe said yes to all those things that we hold dear as Californians and I would argue as Americansโ€”economic justice, social justice, racial justice, environmental justice, our values,โ€ Newsom said in his speech. โ€œAll of those things were on the ballot this evening.โ€

Elder received the most votes at 46.9 percent among candidates who would have replaced Newsom if he was recalled.

In the 2018 gubernatorial election, Newsom was elected by the widest margin in an election race since 1950. Since his time in office, Newsom has faced criticism for his decisions to close prisons, suspend the death penalty, enforce vaccine mandates, and enforce COVID-19 statewide restrictions.

The grassroots effort to recall the governor began in 2020, more than a year before the recall petition cleared on June 23, 2021, and state officials confirmed there were over 1,495,709 signatures, the amount required to hold a special recall election.

In previous interviews with The Epoch Times, recall organizers attributed the impetus of the recall campaign to the governorโ€™s decisions regarding COVID-19 state-mandated shutdowns and restrictions.

At the height of the pandemic in Nov. 2020, Newsom received backlash after attending a party at the French Laundry restaurant without wearing a mask and with visitors from multiple householdsโ€”despite telling state residents to stay home and avoid holiday gatherings.

Following the French Laundry incident, county registrar offices reported an increase of recall petition signatures by 596,721.

As the pandemic continued, California continued to release unemployment funds to residents whose jobs have been lost due to the pandemic. As those eligible received additional funds, it was discovered more than $31 billion in EDD funds were claimed by scammers, including prison inmates.

Amid the recall process, Newsom also faced critics who opposed his decision to allow for 76,000 state inmates, including violent criminals and repeat felons to exit prison earlier than their release date through the help of Proposition 57 that allows inmates to receive credits for good behavior.

Recently, California announced the mandate of vaccines for health care workers and school personnel. In healthcare workspaces, workers are required to receive the vaccine by Sept. 30. Workers who refuse to receive the vaccine and fail to obtain a religious or medical exemption will be out of a job come Oct. 1.

The last time a governor was recalled in the state was in 2003 when Gray Davis was in office. Arnold Schwarzenegger succeeded Davis after 55 percent of state voters voted โ€œyesโ€ on the recall.

On Sept. 13, President Joe Biden visited Long Beach to promote Newsomโ€™s campaign, calling Republican candidate Larry Elder a โ€œclone of Donald Trump.โ€

Elder said if elected governor, he would immediately move to end mask and vaccine mandates.

He also said he would suspend the California Environmental Quality Act, noting its effect on the cost of new housing being built and other construction projects.

Larry Elder is an Epoch Times contributor and host of โ€œLarry Elder for The Epoch Timesโ€ on EpochTV.

This article has been updated with information about Elder conceding.

Byย Vanessa Serna

Read Original Article on TheEpochTimes.com

U.S. Campaigns
U.S. Campaignshttps://www.thethinkingconservative.com/politics/campaigns/2022-campaigns/
U.S. Campaigns on TheThinkingConservative.com includes news and information about important election campaigns in the United States of America.

Roger Stone Speaks About Trump at Turning Point USA

Longtime Donald Trump friend, Roger Stone, gave a speech at the 2025 TPUSA convention offering his take on the recent Epstein List controversy.

Dredging the Swamp For CNN RINOs

Epstein ran a multinational child sex trafficking ring to service and entrap political and business elites to blackmail and to usurp democratic governance.

Trump Turned His Head And Saved America

It was a turn of President Trump's head to view an immigration chart that saved his life. It was Divine intervention, God saved Trump so he could save America.

AI: A Double-Edged Sword?

AI produces innovation, revolutionizing industries from education to entertainment, yet AI tools also cause a gradual decline in human cognitive skills.

Why is the Epstein Victim List Longer than the Client List?

Bondi said her responsibility is to protect identities of underage girls sexually abused by Epstein, but a good number of victims have come forward.

A Year After Trump Rally Shooting, Town Still Seeks Healing, Answers

A western PA community has rallied around the family of Corey Comperatore who was fatally shot when a gunman opened fire at a Trump rally.

5 States Discussing Plans to Build Prisons Like โ€˜Alligator Alcatrazโ€™: Noem

Homeland Security Sec Kristi Noem said five Republican-led states were discussing plans to build detention sites similar to Floridaโ€™s โ€œAlligator Alcatraz.โ€

Wyoming Opens Dual Mine: Coal for Power, Rare Earths for Everything Else

Brook Mine will be the first new coal mine to open in Wyoming in 50 years and first critical mineral and rare earth mine to open in the US in 70 years.

Los Angeles Mayor Signs Order Reaffirming Sanctuary City Policy, Proposes Cash Aid to Illegal Immigrants

LA Mayor Karen Bass has issued an executive directive reaffirming the cityโ€™s self-proclaimed sanctuary status in response to ongoing ICE operations.

EU Wonโ€™t Retaliate to Trumpโ€™s 30 Percent Tariff, Countermeasures on Hold Until August

EC President Ursula von der Leyen said EU will extend suspension on countermeasures to U.S. tariffs until next month while trade negotiations continue.

Trump Announces 30 Percent Tariff on EU, Mexico

President Donald Trump has announced a 30 percent tariff on imports from the European Union and Mexico, to go into effect on Aug. 1, 2025.

Tariff Windfall Drives Surprise $27 Billion US Budget Surplus in June

New data from Treasury Dept show that surging tariff revenues in June helped U.S. government post an unexpected budget surplus of $27 billion.

State Department Says Reorganization Plan to Move Ahead Quickly After Supreme Court Ruling

State Dept to reorganize plans following Supreme Court's allowing Trump admin to proceed with layoffs of fed workers and overhaul of federal agencies.
spot_img

Related Articles