Newsom recall effort reaches 1.4 million signatures as more candidates emerge in potential governor’s race

(The Center Square) – The recall campaign against California Gov. Gavin Newsom has gathered more than 1.4 million signatures, Orrin Heatlie, the chairman of the campaign said Thursday.

“This past week more than 100,000 registered voters in California have signed Gavin Newsom’s Pink Slip,” Orrin Heatlie, the lead proponent of RecallGavin2020, said.

Recall organizers have a mandatory deadline of March 17 to collect 1,495,709 valid signatures as required by state law to call a special recall election.

“We are [near] the red zone at the 10-yard line,” Randy Economy, a spokesman for the campaign, said.

Within days of each other, several candidates have said they are running for governor, and Democratic mega-donor Chamath Palihapitiya who said he was running last week, now says he isn’t.

Palihapitiya launched a campaign website last week, outlining initiatives such as proposing a zero percent state income tax and raising teacher salaries. He also expressed support for the recall effort and donated $100,000 to it.

But on Wednesday, Palihapitiya, in his “All In” podcast, said he wasn’t ready to run for governor.

“Let’s be really honest. I’m not ready to do any of that,” he said. “What I need to do is, I need to figure out is, a), my business and where it’s going, and b), I do think it’s worth figuring out what are the conflict of interest laws and what do you have to do if all of this were to come to pass, because I cannot make a credible decision unless I do that. Because I just have things that I want to do.”

Palihapitiya said he’s working on a battery project that would be important for many states, “and so if I have to abandon this battery project, I wouldn’t do it.”

Republican former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer is running for governor, launching his campaign Feb. 2.

And businessman John Cox, the former California gubernatorial candidate who challenged Newsom in 2018, says he’ll run again if the recall election is held.

“Cox announcing his intentions to enter the race likely spells bad news for San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, a moderate Republican who has launched his own exploratory committee that has raised more than $1 million to this point,” SF Gate reported.

Now former Republican congressman Doeg Ose says he is considering running for governor if the recall goes through.

“I know I can do a better job than Newsom is doing,” Ose said in a radio interview Wednesday. “Anybody running needs to talk about issues that matter around the kitchen table.”

According to Politico, “some Democrats are throwing out feelers” about possibly getting on the ballot if the recall petition qualifies.

If a recall is called, on the ballot would be two items: a simple “yes” or “no” question: should Gov. Gavin Newsom be recalled. Voters would then choose from a list of candidates as replacements, including Faulconer, Cox or others.

If there are more yes votes than no votes, Newsom would be automatically disqualified and his successor would be chosen from one of the candidates on the ballot. According to state law, a plurality – and not a majority – of votes is all that is needed to win.

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