Gov. Gavin Newsom learns his fate in the California recall election

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, has defeated the Republican-backed recall effort and will still be the governor of California, according to multiple projections.

What happened in the California recall election?

Newsom will stay in office after the majority of California residents voted “no” to the recall question, according to multiple reports Tuesday night.

• The recall election asked voters to vote whether or not to recall Newsom. A majority of “yes” votes would recall Newsom. A majority of “no” votes would keep him in office.
• From there, voters would have voted for their preferred candidate to replace him.
• Because the voters voted “no” when asked to recall Newsom, he will remain as governor.

Results were originally too close to call Tuesday night in the California gubernatorial recall election, but early numbers suggested Newsom would likely keep his spot as the state’s governor.

• The “no” vote led early Tuesday night. All signs pointed toward Newsom keeping his spot. It appeared Newsom would keep his position as the “no” vote led throughout the evening, even with 50% of the vote in.
• NBC News and CNN both projected Newsom succeeds in defeating the recall. The Associated Press later called it for Newsom, too.
• Even by Tuesday afternoon, Newsom’s team reportedly felt confident in the results, seeing clear skies for the victory.

Why did California have a recall election?

The recall effort to oust Newsom has been around since February 2020. Per KABC, the recall idea came about before the coronavirus pandemic. A petition was filed to recall the governor because of the laws “he endorsed favor foreign nationals, in our country illegally, over that of our own citizens,” per KABC.

Who ran against Gavin Newsom in the California recall election?

Multiple celebrities attempted to run against him. “Real Housewives” star Vicki Gunvalson’s fiancé, Steve Lodge, said he would run against Newsroom. Similarly, celebrity Caitlyn Jenner decided to compete for the spot, too.

Another competitor was Larry Elder, the radio talk show host and former attorney, according to Deseret News.

• Elder said Ronald Reagan has long been an inspiration. Elder was leading the field of contenders to replace Newsom, a group that included 46 candidates.

Are any other U.S. governors facing recall elections?

Newsom isn’t the only governor to face a recall election. In fact, there have been 164 recall efforts for state and local elected officials across the country. Newsom is one of six governors who had recall attempts made against them since 2020.

• Currently, there’s an attempt to oust Republican Gov. Doug Burgum and Lt. Gov. Brent Sanford in North Dakota, per the Deseret News.
• Leaders in Alaska, Arizona, Louisiana, Michigan and Washington have also faced recall efforts like Newsom. None were successful.