Newsom Recall Effort Gains Steam

Frustration over the slow vaccine rollout and a prolonged lockdown have fueled efforts to recall California Governor Gavin Newsom.

Christina Bellantoni, director of the USC Annenberg Media Center, said that in some parts of L.A., support for the recall is evident.

“You see a lot of it in [yard] signs, the lack of confidence” in the governor, she said.

Nevertheless, as recently as December, Newsom’s ratings were good.

“In October, [the Public Policy Institute of California] had him at 58%,” said Zach Courser, a professor of government at Claremont McKenna College. “In December, measuring him on jobs and economic performance, still 58%. Over half of independents [said] they approved of Newsom.”

The recall campaign has until March to submit enough signatures to get on the ballot. Newsom's term, his first as governor, ends in 2023.