
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) is in danger of losing his job. More residents are signing a petition to recall Governor Newsom and remove him from office.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">What began as a conservative pipe dream has blossomed into something achievable, says a spokesperson for the California Patriot Coalition.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“We’re absolutely thrilled with the progress&#8230;It’s been largely because of Gavin Newsom himself and his daily failures in how to manage or in his case mismanage the pandemic.”</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Newsom is under fire for a strict approach to the pandemic that hasn’t seemed to produce a decrease in cases. Schools and businesses have remained shuttered for months longer in California than in other states. Residents remain at the mercy of a complex tier system. It assigns specific restrictions to each region based on case numbers. </p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">In late January, Newsom abruptly canceled a widespread stay-at-home order and curfew. He claimed the state was experiencing a “flattening of the curve.” </p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">However, critics said he was just trying to save his job. </p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">To date, California is the only state to report more than 3 million COVID-19 infections. Its death toll, which has reached nearly 44,000, is second only to New York. As of January 26th, more than 500 people were dying per day. Also, there wasn’t a single ICU available in all of Socal. </p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">In addition to his pandemic response, proponents of the recall effort have criticized Newsom for his failure to address homelessness and his support for sanctuary city policies and water rationing. </h4>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Teachers are upset with Newsom over the ongoing school closures. Young Democrats are also angry about his decision to side with Uber against the prerogatives of gig workers. </p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Additionally, black women are furious that Newsom failed to replace outgoing California Senator Kamala Harris (D) with a black female. Without her, there are no black women in the senate. &#8220;Newsom and the Party better hope that black women don’t decide to teach them both a lesson and either sign on to the recall or sit it out should it make it to the ballot,” argues Jasmine Cannick, a political strategist based in LA.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Newsom&#8217;s opponents have collected $2.5 million so far, including a $500,000 donation from John Kruger &#8211; an entrepreneur and education reform advocate who is upset with Newsom over his restrictions on religious gatherings during the pandemic. ;</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">To get the recall question on the ballot, supporters will need to collect 1.5 million signatures by March 17th. So far, they have roughly 1.1 million. </p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">If the effort to recall Newsom succeeds and California holds a gubernatorial election, it is expected to become the largest political event of the year. ;Potential candidates include: former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer (R), 2018 gubernatorial candidate John Cox (R), former state Senator John Moorlach (R), and venture capitalist Chamath Palihapitiya (D).</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Newsom has repeatedly deflected questions about the recall effort by framing proponents as extremist Trump Supporters.</strong></h4>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“I do think at some point he needs to open a recall committee, start taking this shit seriously, and start going to war,” warns Democratic consultant Andrew Acosta. ;</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Standing up for Newsom is the National Union of Healthcare Workers, which argues that hospital workers will be in danger if the recall effort goes through. </p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“We can’t risk opening the door to some new administration that would be far less prepared to get people vaccinated and far less committed to protecting healthcare,” said a spokesperson. </p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><em>Recent polls show Newsom&#8217;s approval rating hovering around 50% (down from 64% in May 2020). ;According to the Berkeley Institute of Government Studies, roughly 36% of registered Democrats support his removal.</em></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Sources: </p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2021/02/04/newsom-allies-recall-465717">His polls are sinking. Democrats are mobilizing. The Newsom recall just got real. ;</a></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/california-reverses-stay-home-order-conditions-improve-75482776">California reverses stay-at-home order as conditions improve ;</a></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/03/politics/gavin-newsom-california-governor/index.html">Is California going to recall *another* governor? ;</a></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2021-02-03/newsom-recall-fundraising">Governor Newsom recall backers report raising more than $2.5 million ;</a></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://ballotpedia.org/Gavin_Newsom_recall,_Governor_of_California_(2019-2021)">Gavin Newsom recall, Governor of California (2019-2021)</a></p>

Efforts to recall governor Newsom intensify
