1 min read
Sources:
press and public records
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Short answer
The 2021 California recall asked two questions: should Governor Gavin Newsom be removed, and if so, who should replace him. Newsom survived, 61.9% to 38.1%, on September 14, 2021. Kevin ran on the replacement ballot as a Democrat urging a yes vote on removal with himself as the backup, which put him at odds with his own party, which told voters to vote no and leave the second question blank. He finished second on that question with 9.6%. 12
Election: Sept 14, 2021 (two-question recall ballot)
Recall result: Failed (61.9% no)
Kevin's pitch: Yes, then me (a Democrat backup to Newsom)
Party stance: No, skip Q2 (the state Democratic Party)
The recall
A petition with enough signatures forced a statewide vote on removing Governor Gavin Newsom. The ballot had two questions: remove him, yes or no; and, regardless of your first answer, pick a replacement from 46 candidates. If a majority had voted yes, the replacement with the most votes would have become governor. On September 14, 2021, 61.9% voted no. 1
Kevin’s position
Vote yes on the recall and put me in instead. He ran as a centrist Democrat, called Newsom a failed leader and his spending a crime, and framed himself as the safe backup for Democrats worried about a Republican winning. The California Democratic Party’s official stance was to vote no and leave the replacement question blank, and it discouraged prominent Democrats from running so as not to legitimize the recall. Kevin told the AP the party’s approach was a mistake and that Newsom should have embraced him as a backup: maybe they will be too arrogant to do that, but it would be very smart. 12
The result
The recall failed, so question two was moot. On it, Kevin finished second with 706,778 votes, 9.6%, as the top Democrat.
He asked Democrats to fire Newsom and hire him; the party asked them to do neither. Newsom won easily, and Kevin came second on the question his party boycotted. 12
Simply put
✅ How a recall works
➡️ Question 1: remove the governor? Question 2: if yes, who replaces him?
➡️ Newsom won question 1 by a lot, so question 2 did not matter.
✅ Kevin's position
➡️ Vote yes, and put me in instead. He called Newsom a failed leader.
➡️ His own party said vote no and skip the rest. It called his approach a mistake; he called theirs arrogant.
