An intent to recall petition met the required number of signatures to begin the process of removing California Gov. Gavin Newsom from office.
The latest effort is being led by SavingCalifornia.vote, a group that believes the Democrat governor’s "gross mismanagement" contributed to the devastation seen in Southern California from the wildfires, with the petition noting that "inadequate resources and delayed responses left communities devastated."
"What really was the catalyst of this was the fires," James Bradley, former Senate candidate and board member of the recall effort told Fox11. "We've been planning this for some time because we cannot have another two years of Gavin Newsom's Draconian laws imposed on us."
An intention to recall petition against Newsom, seen by Newsweek, has surpassed the 50 signatures required to initiate recall proceedings against the governor.
It received 105 signatures, and was sent to Newsom on Monday, Saving California Chairman Randy Economy, who is a former senior adviser to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., told Newsweek. Under California law, recipients of a recall petition have 10 days to acknowledge the notice after they receive it.
Once that's done and the petition is approved by the state, a process expected to take a few weeks of signature gathering for the recall petition can officially begin. While the recall effort is set to start collecting signatures within 30 days, the group Saving California is pushing for an earlier launch. To qualify for the ballot, organizers will need to gather between 1.2 million and 1.3 million signatures over 160 days.[...]
The petition also outlines several other reasons for the recall attempt, including rising living costs, increased crime, homelessness, drug issues and border concerns. It claims that tax funds are being misallocated towards political agendas rather than addressing urgent public needs. (Newsweek)
This is not Newsom's first time facing recall efforts. According to Fox11, there have been eight attempts since 2019. Only one of those got on the ballot in 2021, though a majority of California voters rejected the recall.
Organizers are more hopeful this time around, however.
"I think it's a different type of Gavin Newsom now," Saving California chairman Randy Economy told Fox11. "I think last time he had an approval rating of about 53 percent, he's down in the low 20s now. And I think that makes a big difference."
Economy also noted he's never seen such anger in the state in his four decades of consulting.
"I think people right now have had it," he told Newsweek. "The people who lost their homes have had it. These were his traditional base of voters, and they're all disgusted with him. The anger is something I've never seen in California politics. I've been doing this for 40 years as a consultant, and I've never seen so much anger in my life.
"When I did the last recall that got on the ballot three years ago, there wasn't this level of anger," he added. "He was able to raise $175 million and put together a very formidable coalition, from the White House down to Bernie Sanders, Cory Booker and Elizabeth Warren. Every political superstar came to California every other day to campaign for him. Well, he's not going to have that this time. He's on his own. People have had it. We need a full-time chief executive officer—someone who will focus on the needs of the average Californian. Gavin Newsom only cares about running for president."
If it first you don’t Recall Gavin Newsom, try try try try try try try again pic.twitter.com/TChGtw4D6i
— Kevin Dalton (@TheKevinDalton) January 30, 2025