We don’t know when there will be a recall election, but we now know there will indeed be a recall election, as the pro-recall crowd has validated 1.6 million of the necessary 1.4 million signatures.
Great news today for all of the reality TV personalities, washed up porn stars, and crypto podcast bros who aspire to run against Gavin Newsom in a theoretical recall election for governor of California. That recall election is no longer theoretical. The various signature gathering forces have met and surpassed the 1.4 million signature requirement, and the Chronicle reports that the Gavin Newsom recall has made the ballot.
Californians hoping to remove Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom from office have enough valid signatures to force a recall election this fallhttps://t.co/yREmvIXXkQ
— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) April 26, 2021
According to figures from the Secretary of State’s office, the recall effort has about 1.63 million validate signatures, well exceeding what they need to qualify for the ballot. There are still more to validate, but really, additional signatures are now moot point, and the recall is on.
But when will this election be held? Not for a while. Per the Chronicle, it will be “several months until the state sets a date, probably for sometime in November.” There’s also a relatively new certification process for the recall petition, further gumming up the works. KTLA reports that the date might not be set until Septemeber, but the election date may not be that relevant to the candidates, as most are merely in this for publicity stunt or name recognition purposes.
Who wants to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom in the recall election? https://t.co/PfsJhK8l9Q
— Seema (@LATSeema) April 26, 2021
This now the seventh attempt to recall Gavin Newsom since he was sworn in as governor in January 2019. “Game on,” declared Rescue California campaign manager Anne Dunsmore to the Chronicle (Rescue California has been involved with multiple Recall Gavin efforts). “They said it couldn’t be done, now they’re saying he can’t be recalled. I say we proved him wrong once, now we’re going to prove him wrong twice.”
But things have broken Gavin’s way since the French Laundry affair. California now has the lowest COVID-19 rate in the country. Newsom declared everyone could get the vaccine starting April 15, and thus far, that is happening with very few logistical hiccups. Those two accomplishments represents tens of thousands of Californians' lives saved. And it is difficult to imagine that all of the reality TV personalities, washed up porn stars, and crypto podcast bros combined who are running against him could achieve something of that magnitude.
Related: New Poll Finds Newsom Recall Would Fail If It Were Held Today [SFist]
Image: RecallGavin2020.com