California Gov. Gavin Newsom survives recall election to stay in office

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday emphatically defeated a recall aimed at kicking him out of office early, a contest the Democrat framed as part of a national battle for his party's values in the face of the coronavirus pandemic and continued threats from "Trumpism."

Newsom bolted to a quick victory boosted by healthy turnout in the overwhelmingly Democratic state. He cast it as a win for science, women's rights and other liberal issues, and it ensures the nation's most populous state will remain in Democratic control as a laboratory for progressive policies.

"`No' is not the only thing that was expressed tonight," Newsom said. "I want to focus on what we said `yes' to as a state: We said yes to science, we said yes to vaccines, we said yes to ending this pandemic."

With about 60 per cent of ballots counted, "no" on the question of whether to recall Newsom was ahead by a 2-to-1 margin. That massive lead was built on votes cast by mail and in advance of Tuesday's in-person balloting. While likely to shrink somewhat in the days ahead as votes cast at polling places are counted, the lead that Newsom took among votes cast before Election Day — which were counted first Tuesday night — was insurmountable.

Republican talk radio host Larry Elder almost certainly would have replaced Newsom had the recall succeeded, bringing a polar opposite political worldview, though he would have had to contend with a Legislature dominated by Democrats.

The recall, which turned on Newsom's approach to the pandemic, mirrored the nation's heated political divide over business closures and mask and vaccine mandates, and both parties will dissect its outcome heading into the 2022 midterm elections.

President Joe Biden sought validation of the Democratic Party's approach of tighter restrictions and vaccine requirements, urging Californians to show the nation that "leadership matters, science matters." The race also was a test of whether opposition to former President Donald Trump and his right-wing politics remains a motivating force for Democrats and independents.