The recall election for California Gov. Gavin Newsom became more fascinating these past few days.
To begin with, conservative talk show host Larry Elder officially entered the fray as a candidate.
Elder, whose show is nationally syndicated, is a regular guest on Fox News. He’s dubbed the “sage from South Central” on his website, a reference to the area of Los Angeles where he grew up.In an interview with The Associated Press, the 69-year-old attorney said he initially was reluctant to become a candidate in a state where Democrats hold a lopsided grip on power in Sacramento. Among supporters who encouraged him to run: fellow conservative radio host Dennis Prager.Elder said he decided to enter his first campaign after witnessing California’s out-of-control homeless crisis, spiking crime rates, looming water and power shortages, and whipsaw coronavirus lockdowns.“I have common sense. I have good judgment. I’m born and raised here. I think I understand the state,” he said.“I know it’s a long shot,” he added, referring to Newsom’s ability to raise unlimited funds. But he said he was driven by a “fire in the belly to see if I can do something … to move the needle in the right direction.”
So far, over 30 candidates are representing a more comprehensive array of political affiliations.
Among the candidates vying to replace Gov. Newsom are Republicans Caitlyn Jenner, former San Diego mayor Kevin Faulconer, businessman John Cox and Assembly member Kevin Kiley.As of Monday, there are at least 26 Republicans, 16 Democrats, 11 No Party Preference, three Green Party and one American Independent candidates who have filed to run. See the list here.Candidates have until Friday to jump into the race. In order to do so, one must be a U.S. citizen and registered to vote in California. They cannot be convicted of a felony involving bribery and cannot have held two terms as governor since 1990. Candidates must also submit five years of tax returns and pay a roughly $4,000 filing fee or 7,000 signatures from supporters.
Another intriguing aspect about this recall: the ballot will not list Newsom as a Democrat. As I noted in an earlier post, his lawyer forgot to mention the party affiliation in the paperwork. A judge ruled that the addition cannot proceed.
Newsom sued California Secretary of State Shirley Weber in late June, asking the court to require her to print his party preference on the recall ballots for the Sept. 14 election. Weber had declined to do so in June, saying the governor’s attorney failed to make the request as required by state law when filing Newsom’s official response to the recall in early 2020.Superior Court Judge James P. Arguelles said in his ruling that Newsom’s assertion that the oversight was a good-faith error on the part of his attorney was not enough to overcome the clear language of California election law. The statute states that an elected official’s party preference “shall not appear” on the recall ballot unless that official makes the designation at the time they file their official response to the recall with the secretary of state.“No one is above the law, and this ruling makes clear, that includes Gavin Newsom,” said Eric Early, the attorney for recall proponents Orrin Heatlie, Mike Netter and the California Patriot Coalition.
Larry Elder was one of the talk show hosts that got me started on the path of independent conservative thinking. I look forward to seeing how the Democrats respond to his campaign. I cannot wait to see them handle a ballot that does not list the only prominent Democrat running as a Democrat.
As I said: Fascinating.
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