As fires have been raging in California since early last week, yet another recall measure is in place to recall Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom. The governor is expected to soon be formally handed his recall papers, as talk radio host Randy Economy revealed over X last week, declaring, "Governor Gavin Newsom to Be Formally Served Recall Papers in Next Two Weeks Following Los Angeles Wildfire Catastrophe."
The post from Economy, whose bio over X notes he is leading the effort through a coalition known as "Saving California," mentions there's been a plan in place since late 2024. Economy "served as a senior advisor and media spokesperson of the 2021 Recall California Governor Gavin Newsom—otherwise known as 'The People's Recall!'" Such a post also mentions that the coalition unites Californians who are increasingly disillusioned with the state's direction under Newsom's direction," and doesn't reference the fires until a little while later, in a statement from Economy, to show his disastrous handling of the catastrophe is just one of many issues voters have with the governor.
#ALERT
— RANDY ECONOMY (@EconomyRadio) January 12, 2025
Jan 10, 2025, 08:54 ET
Governor Gavin Newsom to Be Formally Served Recall Papers in Next Two Weeks Following Los Angeles Wildfire Catastrophe
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Saving California, a newly formed non-partisan coalition of working families,…
As Economy's statement read:
"Under the reign of Governor Newsom, living in California has become impossible for average people through years of poor policies which have increased the costs of living, increased crime, increased drug use and homelessness, increased the cost of burden on small businesses and communities, while decreasing our professional standards, education standards, the disappearance of billions of taxpayers' dollars to failed pet programs, and our public services," said Economy.
"This was most recently demonstrated by the woefully unprepared and incompetent response to the fires currently ravaging the Los Angeles area. Just today, Governor Newsom was asked 'What is your plan to deal with the lack of water to deal with the fires?' and he responded by saying 'local folks are gonna figure it out.' That's not leadership! Leadership is solving problems, not passing the buck and the blame, and Californians can no longer afford to have an empty suit occupying the governorship. It's time for Californians to take back control of our mismanaged government, and using the recall tool is our last hope.
"The coalition plans to serve recall papers to Governor Newsom within two weeks, citing growing concerns over California's rising taxes, cost of living, and ineffective emergency responses - issues that have contributed to the state's first population decline in history."Governor Gavin Newsom's governance has been marked by a series of catastrophic failures, particularly his mismanagement of the recent wildfires, which have led to unprecedented displacement and destruction. Wildfires are a common and well-known issue in California. The fact that Governor Newsom has not been able to come up with any plan or prep after six years as governor and eight years as lieutenant governor shows that he is completely unprepared and lacks the compassion and will to lead California any longer," said Dr. Houman David Hemmati, MD, PhD, and Executive Board Member of Saving California."
His administration has also imposed burdensome taxes on Californians, exacerbating the state's affordability crisis. Crime rates have soared under his watch, showing a clear lack of effective policy to ensure public safety. Moreover, his energy policies have not only failed to provide relief at the pump but have contributed to economic strain on families and businesses across the state. It's time for a change, as these issues demonstrate that Californians can no longer afford Newsom's inept governance needs during these critical times."
There have been numerous recall petitions against Newsom, with a 2021 recall being served against him, which he survived. The last time a governor was successfully recalled in California was 2003, when Democratic Gov. Gray Davis was recalled and replaced by Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Our own Kurt Schlichter also penned a column earlier this week, "There Is No Bottom for Blue California."
That being said, this time could very well be different, if the fires are seen as the last straw for voters. Newsom has used the fires to get into it with President-elect Donald Trump, just as he did in previous years during Trump's first term. He's also ranted and raved about supposed "misinformation" and "disinformation," and thought it would be a good idea to go on the far-left podcast "Pod Save America" and solicit funds for ActBlue.
Nick Arama at our sister site of RedState also highlighted how host Megyn Kelly shared a story about a friend, whom she describes as "woke," declaring everyone she knows is ready to vote Republican now. Will these anecdotes amount to enough? To anything? We shall see.
Newsom, who is term-limited, will leave office in early 2027 if not recalled. There's even been chatter that Vice President Kamala Harris may run to replace him. Even if he does survive a recall effort and is able to serve out the rest of this term, his political career and any future aspirations about becoming president could very well be far too damaged now.
There also looks to be, as Sarah covered, a recall effort against Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, another Democratic figure rocked with scandal when it comes to her handling. She has behaved abominably and been nonresponse or snippy with the press as she's forced to answer questions about being in Ghana when the fires were raging, despite how she said in 2021 she wouldn't take international trips as mayor.