Newsom Campaign Urges Voters Not to Let California Become Texas as Recall Looms

California Gov. Gavin Newsom listens to a question while meeting with reporters after cast
AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli
Amy Furr

While closing in on the California recall effort that could oust Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom, his campaign has used Texas as a scare tactic.

Texas laws banning most abortions, and others regarding voting, were offered by Newsom and fellow Democrats as evidence of what a Republican governor was capable of doing in California if voters decided to remove Newsom, the Associated Press (AP) reported Saturday.

“Newsom also says his GOP opponents will follow the lead of Texas, Florida and some other Republican-led states by rolling back mask and vaccine requirements. He has framed the issue ‘a matter of life and death’ for Californians,” the outlet continued:

The last day to vote in the recall is Tuesday and Democrats are using stronger rhetoric to drive their voters to the polls. There are nearly two times as many registered Democrats as Republicans in the state, meaning a strong turnout should enhance Newsom’s chances of surviving. More than 7 million of California’s 22 million voters already have cast ballots and Democrats so far have made a strong showing. Meantime, recent polls show the recall failing by double digits.

However, if the polls were wrong and a majority voted to remove Newsom, it was fairly certain a Republican would claim the governorship.

“The leader in that field is talk radio host Larry Elder, a conservative Republican who opposes abortion and is seeking to become the state’s first Black governor,” the AP article read.

Texas recently became the first state in the nation to enact a “heartbeat” abortion law, banning abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected.

“The whole idea that a constitutional right, the right to choice, the right to reproductive freedom, rights of women, now are under assault — what a remarkable moment it is in American history,” Newsom claimed during a campaign speech on Wednesday.

He also described Elder as “someone that celebrates what just happened to women in Texas, and is celebrating the prospect of overturning Roe v. Wade.”

In a social media post on Friday, Elder urged followers to vote yes if they were unhappy with things such as homeless encampments, crime, failing schools, rolling blackouts, and fires:

“California needs you,” he wrote.

Meanwhile, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) has boasted about some businesses relocating their headquarters from California to his state amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“California’s population growth has slowed in the last decade and so the state lost a congressional seat for the first time while Texas kept growing fast and gained two,” the AP report concluded.

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