What is the Recall Newsom Movement?

California Governor Gavin Newsom is currently facing some challenges to his gubernatorial position. 

After footage of his dinner at French Laundry in Napa County was leaked in November by the San Francisco Chronicles, many Californians were disappointed in his hypocritical behavior as he was calling for strict lockdowns for the holiday season. 

The situation got even more sticky for him when the purpose of the dinner was identified as the celebration of the 50th birthday of Jason Kinney, a political operative.

Although Newsom apologized, stating that he “made a bad mistake,” riding on the tide of the disapproving sentiment, the recall effort that began in June 2020 started gaining traction. 

According to the organizer, in January 2021, the campaign garnered over a million signatures. 

If true, only about 400,000 more signatures are needed to put the matter on the ballot. 

Supporters of the movement cite overly stringent COVID-19 regulations and high tax rates as their main grievances.

This is the fifth recall effort for Governor Newsom since he took office after the 2018 election when he received 61.9% of the vote, and so far, this one is seemingly the most serious campaign. 

In fact, Superior Court Judge James Arguelles extended the deadline from Nov. 17, 2020 to Mar. 17, 2021, due to complications caused by the pandemic.

Back in June, Governor Newsom did respond to this recall effort, claiming that it would cost $81 million in taxpayer money and that it is led by Donald Trump’s supporters.

In terms of precedent, out of 55 recall efforts to recall an incumbent Californian governor, only one case was successful when Gary Davis was recalled by voters in 2003 with Arnold Schwarzenegger serving as his replacement.

When asked if the recall movement was justified, Comparative Government teacher Louis Harley said, “Absolutely. If people are upset, they have the [Californian] constitutional right to do the recall.” 

“He lied about [the French Laundry incident]. It’s about inconsistency. It’s their livelihood,” Harley said as he described the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the state response. 

He further stated, “The vaccination thing, you can’t do any worse. Every leader should be graded on a crisis, and he has to answer for his screw-ups.”

When asked about his opinion on whether Governor Newsom will actually be recalled if the issue does end up being placed on the ballot, Harley said, “I think there is a good chance,” referencing the circumstances of Davis’s removal in 2003.

However, given the fact that California is a strong blue state, Harley still predicted that Newsom being removed from office is unlikely. 

Personally, he said that he would vote against it if the referendum were to occur.

If the recall effort does pass the required amount of signatures and get on the ballot, in addition to deciding whether to recall Newsom or not, voters will also pick their replacement candidate- even those who voted against the recall in case it goes through. 

Currently, there are a number of opponents of Newsom whose name could be on the ballot. 

Some prominent figures include John H. Cox, a businessman who was the Republican nominee in 2018, and Kevin Faulconer, a former mayor of San Diego, both of whom have already launched exploratory committees for the 2022 California gubernatorial election.