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AngelikaIt's not as outlandish as you might think that a seated governor gets recalled before his term is over. Remember 2003, when voters decided that then-governor Gray Davis was to be recalled, and a new round of elections determined that movie actor Arnold Schwarzenegger would be his immediate successor? Now, back then that was indeed the first time something like this had happened in California history.
Although these recalls are commonplace in California, with low barriers to start a new one (Rundbrief 08/2003), they often fail to make it to the actual ballot because either they didn't gather enough signatures, or the signatures gathered can't be verified. Since the 1960ies, frustrated voters have been threatening to recall pretty much every elected governors in office, but so far only Davis actually was recalled.
Now, it's Gavin Newsom's turn, who is our current governor. So far, there had been a whopping five attempts to start a recall, all unsuccessful, but on the 6th try Newsom's opponents managed to collect the required number of valid signatures. On September 14, 2021, all Californians will be able to vote on whether Newsom should stay in office. I think it's all a waste of money. According to the New York Times, the special election will cost taxpayers $276 million. In these times, we really don't need a governor who is distracted from his work by special elections. Corona is still a threat, not to mention the wildfires that are raging all over California again. California is also struggling with a drought again, and we have to save water. Special elections traditionally attract very few voters to the polls, and only mobilize those who want to get rid of the incumbent politician.
Newsom has been in office since January 2019. He belongs to the Democratic Party and made a name for himself as mayor of San Francisco when he allowed same-sex couples to marry spontaneously in the town hall, even though California had not yet allowed it (Rundbrief 03/2004). Governors in California are elected for four years and can serve a maximum of two terms, for a total of eight years.
Everyone knows that Newsom is planning on a carreer in Washington. Some are speculating that he wouldn't be averse to becoming the next President. Now, it's certainly not easy to govern California. The state is not only large, but also populous and an economic superpower, but also plagued by natural disasters such as fires, earthquakes, drought and water scarcity. Newsom probably imagined his term of office to be a bit easier. So far, it has mainly been about crisis management for him.
Because of his Corona related policies, he has come under criticism from his political opponents. California's public schools still haven't fully reopened after more than a year of closure, and the partial lockdowns were not universally accepted. The so-called French Laundry scandal was the tipping point. The French Laundry is a world-famous fine dining restaurant in Napa Valley, with its Michelin star awarded chef Thomas Keller. On November 6, 2020, Newsom celebrated the birthday of a friend, a political lobbyist from Sacramento, at the restaurant, and photos revealed that Newsom was not wearing a mask and the birthday party was inside the restaurant, which was not allowed at the time according to Newsom's own coronavirus regulations. This angered many voters. Newsom already had a reputation as an arrogant, wealthy playboy, and the incident seemed to confirm it.
Over 70 candidates have announced their intention to run against Newsom, most of them from the Republican party. This includes former San Diego mayor Kevin Faulconer, as well as San Diego businessman John Cox. And also Caitlin Jenner, formerly known as Bruce Jenner and married to Kris Kardashian, who became famous through the TV series "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" and winning Olympic gold medals. John Cox stands out in particular, as he is running his campaign with a real bear. His motto is "The Beauty and the Beast". Beauty refers to Newsom, but here it is meant somewhat derogatorily, as a "handsome man". He sees himself as the beast that can beat Newsom. The TV election spots with the bear are so absurd that I always think we are in the wrong movie. Interestingly, Newsom was married to Kimberly Guilfoyle in his first marriage, who is a Republican party member and is now with Donald Trump Junior. Stories like from a Hollywood movie.
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