Trojans and voters reject Newsom recall

Californians overwhelmingly voted no on the recall against Gov. Gavin Newsom, with 64 percent against the recall and 36 percent for it. The voting period ended on Sept. 14, but mail-in ballots are still arriving for the count. 

Newsom celebrated the results, a victory for the Democrats, with a speech on election night.

“We’re so much more in common as a state and nation than we give ourselves credit for,” said Newsom.

Republican candidate Larry Elder, Newsom’s most popular challenger, admitted defeat and acknowledged the failed recall attempt. Elder led the polls with a 47 percent vote as the candidate to replace Newsom if most Californians voted “yes” on the recall.

One tactic that backfired against Elder’s campaign was the premature assumption of voter fraud in the recall election; specifically, his campaign asserting the claim before any votes were counted.

Democrats are already preparing to support Newsom’s reelection campaign in 2022. Although Elder conceded, he has hinted at another campaign.

“We recognize that we lost the battle, but we are certainly going to win the war,” said Elder after losing the election. “We’re forcing them now to pay attention to the things they should have paid attention to two years ago.”

The results of the election have led some to believe it should not have happened in the first place. California tends to remain a liberal state which usually elects Democrats to state offices. 

In a poll, CVHS students voted to support Newsom by a similar margin, with 62.8 percent opposing the recall. 

“I think it was a waste of time. The conclusion was forgone so it was a shame to go through the process,” said CVHS teacher Jason Marlis.