California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D) recall election rhetoric took a hyperbolic turn this week, warning voters that his battle to remain in office is a “matter of life or death.”
CBS San Francisco reports:
Newsom’s latest campaign ad, released Monday, puts the election in blunt terms: “What’s at stake in the Sept. 14 recall? It’s a matter of life and death,” the narrator says. The ad calls [Larry] Elder “the top Republican candidate” and highlights his opposition to mask and vaccine mandates.
Newsom’s shift in tone comes after admitting that the recall election was closer than he thought and called on Democrats to focus more energy on the race.
“His particular challenge is to persuade Democrats that they really need to take this seriously and that they need to go out and vote,” stated Jim Newton, a Los Angeles Times reporter. “One way to do it is to remind them that this is not just an empty exercise, that there are real consequences to it.”
The messaging reflects Democrats’ concerns that their voters are less enthusiastic than Republicans. Beyond Elder, leading Republican candidates include former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, Assemblyman Kevin Kiley, former Olympian and reality show star Caitlyn Jenner, and businessman John Cox, who lost to Newsom in 2018.
Voters will answer two questions: Should Newsom be recalled, yes or no? If so, who should replace him? They have 46 candidates to choose from on the second question. If a majority of voters want to remove him, the replacement candidate with the highest number of voters becomes governor, even if they fall far short of a majority.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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