The Newsom Recall has now gathered over 2.1 million signatures. With an election all but certain, many are naturally asking about the best choice for a new Governor.
This is a question of monumental importance, no doubt. It would be a travesty if our upside-down State Capitol were flipped rightside-up, only to keep rotating and do a full 360. We can’t let our movement get hijacked by the same corrupt political class that gave us Gavin Newsom.
However, the choice of a successor is separate and apart from the main question of whether to recall the Governor. Your ballot will look something like this:
Question 1: Shall GAVIN NEWSOM be recalled (removed) from the office of Governor? YES / NO
Question 2: Candidates to succeed GAVIN NEWSOM as Governor if he is recalled: Vote for One
The list of successor candidates will likely be quite long. Here’s a photo of the ballot in the Gray Davis Recall. There were 135 candidates, although only 4 got over one percent of the vote.
Question one, by contrast, is simply a yes-or-no choice. The distinctive nature of a recall is that Newsom is not running against anyone. Voters are deciding whether he is fit to remain Governor, full stop.
If you own a store and find out an employee has been stealing from the cash register, you’ll probably fire them regardless of who their replacement might be. They’ve abused the trust you placed in them.
In the same way, Gavin Newsom has abused the public trust in a way that makes him unfit to be our Governor. I believe a large majority of Californians can reach this conclusion even if they disagree about a successor. That’s why my main focus, even after the Recall qualifies, will be on making the case against Newsom and the corruption he exemplifies.
But over the coming weeks I’ll also be keeping a close eye on how the field of replacement candidates shapes up. Like many Californians, I’ll be looking to see if there is someone who can bring about the fundamental course correction our state needs – someone with the tenacity to take on our corrupt political class and the humility to restore government by the people.
We’ve already made history. Now comes the fight for California’s future.