Fearful Democrats Flock to Vote ‘No’ on Gavin Newsom Recall

California’s Democratic voters are suddenly flocking to vote “no” on the recall of Gov. Gavin Newsom, as the incumbent and the media unleash a torrent of negative attacks on the likely replacement candidate, talk radio host Larry Elder.

Several weeks ago, Newsom was within the margin of error in many polls, and losing by double digits to the “yes” vote in one poll. But the latest poll shows the “no” vote with 57%, and the “yes” vote with only 41%. Moreover, Democrats are outperforming their voter registration numbers — already dominant within the state — by turning in 55% of the ballots.

(The ballots will continue to be counted as they arrive, as long as they are postmarked or turned in by September 14.)

Newsom’s campaign is essentially a negative one. His campaign website is called “Stop the Republican Recall,” and features images of the January 6 Capitol riot in Washington, DC, as well as of President Donald Trump.

The media have played along, unleashing a series of racially-themed opinion articles, and devoting coverage to hit pieces and sensational accusations — including a claim of abuse by an ex-fiancée that police have since declined to investigate.

Newsom’s poll numbers crashed last winter, during the coronavirus surge, and after he was caught dining at the exclusive French Laundry, maskless and in the company of powerful lobbyists. His numbers recalled as the state reopened schools and the economy in the spring, but the recall had gained momentum over the summer.

Under state law, Newsom — and not his challengers — can raise and spend unlimited amounts of campaign cash to defend his incumbency in the recall.

Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of the recent e-book, Neither Free nor Fair: The 2020 U.S. Presidential Election. His recent book, RED NOVEMBER, tells the story of the 2020 Democratic presidential primary from a conservative perspective. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.