President Joe Biden reportedly plans to travel to the Golden State to stump for Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom the day before voters will choose whether to oust him from office.
The Los Angeles Times reported, “President Biden will fly to California Monday and urge voters to reject the GOP-backed effort to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom as part of a three-state western swing, a White House official confirmed.” According to the outlet, “Biden and Newsom will appear together at a rally on Monday in Long Beach, a final effort to ensure that Democratic voters cast ballots – and vote no – in Tuesday’s special election.”
The recall election ballot asks California voters two questions. First, voters will decide whether Newsom should be recalled. Then, the second question asks who should replace Newsom if he is recalled. If more than 50% choose to recall Newsom on question one, then the top vote-getter on the second question would become the new governor.
Newsom has been teasing Biden’s visit, telling reporters last week that he was “humbled by the fact the president will be out here soon.” Politico reported, “While the White House pledged last month to offer Newsom campaign support with expected visits by Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the unraveling situation in Afghanistan upended those plans.”
As President Biden’s approval rating recently hit a new low, some prominent Republican recall proponents who reside in California have encouraged his presence in the race.
“PLEASE SEND JOE BIDEN TO CALIFORNIA,” tweeted former Acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell, who launched a nonprofit called “Fix California” earlier this year.
PLEASE SEND JOE BIDEN TO CALIFORNIA. @GavinNewsom https://t.co/YKfEX0gMcP
— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) September 1, 2021
On Wednesday, Vice President Harris appeared at a campaign stop with Newsom in the Bay Area. Several union members and Democratic party activists were in attendance.
“If having a governor who is for workers rights and labor unions weren’t a problem for them, they wouldn’t be trying to recall him,” Harris told the crowd.
A statewide television ad featuring former President Barack Obama that launched Thursday urges Californians to vote “no” on the recall.
“Governor Newsom has spent the past year and a half protecting California communities,” Obama said during the spot. “Now, Republicans are trying to recall him from office and overturn common-sense COVID safety measures for healthcare workers and school staff.”
Here it is: the ad Obama just cut for the Gavin Newsom anti-recall campaign. Focuses on covid, specifically vaccines mandates, and hits Elder for being close to Trump.
"Protect California by voting NO on the Republican Recall." pic.twitter.com/OsCc2YGIHr
— Jacob Rubashkin (@JacobRubashkin) September 8, 2021
“Your vote could be the difference between protecting our kids and putting them at risk.”
The ad was funded by Newsom’s anti-recall committee, which received a $3 million donation from Netflix co-CEO Reed Hastings. In 2018, Obama and his wife, Michelle, agreed to a multi-year production deal to create content for the streaming service.
U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat from Massachusetts, was also featured in a commercial produced by Newsom’s committee and campaigned with the governor last week. Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, another Democrat, has also traveled to California to promote Newsom.
Leading Republican gubernatorial candidate Larry Elder has said national Democrats and their donors who have become involved with the California special election are more focused on preventing the GOP from taking control of the U.S. Senate than saving Newsom’s job. The chamber is equally divided between the two parties, with Vice President Harris as the tie-breaking vote.
FiveThirtyEight on Wednesday updated the averages of multiple polls and found the option to “Keep” Newsom in his current role is polling at an average of 54.3%, while those seeking to “Remove” the governor is polling at an average of 42%.
Related:
- WATCH: White Woman Wearing Monkey Mask Throws Egg At Larry Elder
- Larry Elder Says Dem Power Players More Concerned With Controlling U.S. Senate Than Protecting Gov. Newsom In CA Recall
- Team Newsom Spent More Than $36M Last Month To Fight CA Recall, TV Spot Distorts GOP Rivals’ Positions