Gov. Gavin Newsom Navigates Compounding Crises — And A Potential Recall — Halfway Through His Term

Speaker 1: 00:00 This month marks that midpoint and Gavin Newsome's term as California's governor, the moment arrives as he is facing a recall effort. That's gaining steam and could make it to the ballot this week. We'll be sharing stories that explore Gavin, Newsome, successes, and shortcomings to start our series cap radio's politics reporter Nicole Nixon has this look at who's behind the recall and whether it could actually succeed. Speaker 2: 00:27 Diana Chohan is posted up in the parking lot of a grocery store in citrus Heights, a suburb about 20 minutes North of Sacramento. She's wearing a neon green vest and her car is draped with an enormous banner that reads recall Gavin Newsome. Speaker 3: 00:42 I'm a hairstylist. When my salon got shut down, I had a lot of time on my hands. Speaker 2: 00:47 42 year old comes here three days a week to gather signatures for a petition to get Newsome. Speaker 3: 00:53 I got involved because it was disturbing to see all the businesses closing, choking, Speaker 2: 00:59 And actually carries a list of reasons. She thinks Newsome should get the boot pandemic. Shutdowns are at the top, but there's a lot. Speaker 3: 01:06 We have the highest gas tax in the nation, the highest homelessness in the nation. He's promoting fear. Gavin Newsome goes to the French laundry and eats without a mask Speaker 2: 01:15 Given day. There are dozens, maybe hundreds of tables like hers up and down, California organizers say they've collected over a million signatures, but if they want to get a recall on the ballot, they'll need to get about a million more in the next six weeks for a governor facing the very real threat of a recall election Newsome has a high approval rating. 58%, according to the most recent public policy Institute of California survey. That's largely because Democrats have given the governor high marks throughout the pandemic says Mark Baldessari he's with the PPAC Speaker 4: 01:50 Well, uh, are very polarized in terms of how they think about their leaders. So you're going to find people who have very strong feelings for and against this governor. Speaker 2: 02:01 All this already says there are big differences between this recall effort and the 2003 recall of former democratic governor gray Davis Democrats did not have such a tight hold on the state back then. And Davis has approval sunk to a record low of 24% in the months before his ouster. There haven't been voters survey since the most recent stay at home orders or the French laundry incident when Newson was photographed dining with a group of lobbyists at the exclusive Napa Valley restaurant. But the most recent surveys show democratic voters still continue to support Newsome while Republicans disapprove Speaker 1: 02:37 Voters, biggest cue will always be partisanship as much as people don't want to admit that Speaker 2: 02:42 Renee van Vechten is a political science professor at the university of Redlands. She says, well, Newsome is clinging to the good graces of most California voters. There's a lot riding on the next few weeks, including the all important COVID-19 vaccine distribution it is, do or die time Speaker 1: 03:00 For the governor because he does face the very real possibility of a recall election. Speaker 2: 03:05 If the recall does qualify for the ballot and election would likely be later this summer and van Vechten says Newsome shouldn't rely too heavily on his base to carry them through. Speaker 1: 03:16 He's on a mountain and he's driving around out a very narrow road. Could he go off the cliff at anytime? It's possible? It just one little turn of the wheel and he's over the Hill. That is what a French laundry incident represents. Speaker 2: 03:32 And she says voters may not have the appetite for another scandal in Sacramento. I'm Nicole Nixon. Speaker 1: 03:41 We'll have another story tomorrow. Looking at governor Gavin, Newsome successes and failures on climate change and wildfires. Find more at CAPP radio.org/newsome midterm.