Four takeaways after California governor handily defeats recall
Al Jazeera
Newsom wins on strength of response to COVID-19 as voters reject Republican claims in heavily Democratic state.
California Governor Gavin Newsom ably fended off a recall attempt from Republicans on Tuesday after changing the stakes of the contest from a referendum on his own performance and into a partisan fight over Trumpism and the coronavirus.
The California recall election was the first significant US political contest of Joe Biden’s presidency and served as a stress test for both parties before next year’s midterms that will determine whether Biden’s Democratic Party can retain control of Congress.
Biden appeared at a campaign rally for Newsom the night before polls closed, pushing key Democratic policy proposals responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and wildfires.
