Joe Biden’s Presidency is on shaky ground.
It’s all thanks to one deep blue state that could completely wreck his plans.
And now, this brewing Democratic nightmare just took one major step towards becoming a reality.
With Democrats in full control of the Federal government for the first time in a decade, many on both sides of the political aisle are expecting a series of political upheavals that could reshape the balance of power in Washington and across the country.
But few believed it would begin with Democrats scrambling to prevent an electoral disaster from unfolding in California, where it appears as if the party is on the verge of losing control of the Governor’s mansion for the first time in roughly 15 years.
With public opinion of Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom at an all-time low, a petition drive to recall the governor was launched last year.
And now, the petition organizers claim they have the signatures to force a recall vote against Newsom this year.
If the move succeeds, Newsom would be one of only a handful of governors in American history to be recalled from office, and the first in California since 2003.
What’s more, a slew of Republicans are already lining up to campaign for governor should a recall election be triggered.
And there are signs that Republicans could have the wind at their backs, something which the California GOP hasn’t enjoyed in decades.
The AP reports, “Newsom’s popularity has fallen significantly after reaching record highs at the start of the pandemic and he’s likely to face a recall election later this year driven by critics of his stewardship during the crisis. That makes Tuesday’s State of the State a critical step for keeping voters on his side.”
“The anti-Newsom effort is driven by Republicans hoping to regain a political foothold in California by tapping into widespread frustration over business restrictions and school closures. Organizers say they have more than the 1.5 million signatures needed to force an election, likely late in the year.” adds the AP.
This means the organizers for the recall election have gathered around 500,000 new signatures since early February, when the recall petition stood at just over 1 million signers.
Since then, Newsom’s situation has grown even more dire, as the prospects of an election have only grown over the past month.
With over 1.5 million petitions, it is now very likely that an election will be triggered for this November.
“Newsom’s approval rating fell from 65% last spring to 54% last month, according to the Public Policy Institute of California. He took a major hit when it was revealed he went to the high-end French Laundry restaurant for a lobbyist’s birthday party as he was urging Californians to stay home. Photos from the event showed Newsom not wearing a mask and sitting close to other guests.” adds the AP.
While Democrats still retain a large political advantage in California elections, Newsom’s collapse in the polls is being driven not just by Republicans, but Independents and even some Democrats, prompting talk that a brewing “perfect storm” is on the horizon which could sweep him out of power, and topple the trifecta of Democratic control over the Governor’s Mansion and State Legislature.
What’s more, a potential recall election would widely be viewed as the first true electoral test for Democrats since Joe Biden became President at the beginning of the year.
Should Newsom lose, it would be a devastating blow to Biden, as well as Democratic Congressional leaders like Chuck Schumer and California’s own Nancy Pelosi.