California gubernatorial recall election campaigning heats up with candidate events

SAN FRANCISCO - California’s recall election of Gov. Gavin Newsom is heating up. On Friday, candidates held events while the governor defended his job performance during a private appearance.

In San Francisco Friday morning, Newsom was on the stump to stay in office.

"I just hope folks know, I wanna level something, what could happen on Election Day, if we don’t turn out in historic numbers to vote no on this recall," he said. "We could go off a COVID cliff in a matter of weeks if we don’t take this matter seriously, and turn those ballots back in."

The political bogieman closing in on Newsom is fellow Democrat Kevin Paffrath. He was standing outside the private event.

"California needs a new leader. We need a JFK-style leader who’s looking at common sense solutions for solving our homeless crisis, our water crisis, our fire crisis," said Paffrath.

A recent Survey USA poll conducted for several Southern California media outlets finds a majority of the 1,100 respondents, 51%, want Newsom recalled. Republicans overwhelmingly favor the recall, while Democrats oppose it by a three-to-one ratio.

Paffrath leads a crowded field of 46 candidates to replace Newsom for one year, until the next gubernatorial election. He’s currently trending at 27%.

"We have all kinds of problems in this state. Many of them have been exacerbated by this governor in the last two years," said Larry Elder, a Republican gubernatorial candidate.

He leads the GOP hopefuls, with 23% of poll respondents. An attorney, author, and conservative show host, Elder held his own virtual campaign push -- virtually at the same time as Newsom’s appearance.

Elder said that if he replaces Newsom in the Sept. 14 election he will suspend any mask or vaccine mandates in place for state workers "right away." 

Elder, a 69-year-old attorney, said he believes vaccines work. He was vaccinated at the suggestion of his doctor, given a blood condition and other factors, but believes it should be a personal choice, not a government mandate.

Democrats labeled the leading Republican as a science skeptic who would endanger public health. 

"One of the many things I intend to do when I become governor is to declare a crisis on homelessness, and unleash the private sector to build low-cost housing," said Elder.

In his remarks to volunteers, Newsom focused on largely on Elder.  

The first-term Democrat once seen as a likely presidential prospect issued an ominous warning about his possible ouster in the heavily Democratic state, saying the minimum wage would be eliminated and other progressive policies endangered. That, in turn, could domino around the country.

The front-running candidates all tout plans to tackle education, homelessness, and crime.

In other campaign activity Friday, Republican businessman John Cox, who was defeated by Newsom in 2018, was in San Diego to promote his proposed $30 billion tax cut. "When I'm governor we are going to implement the largest tax cut in state history," he said in a statement.

Another Republican, former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, stopped in the Los Angeles suburbs to fault Newsom for spiking crime rates and the dire homeless crisis. "Gavin Newsom has failed communities across our state. If we want things to change, we need a leader," Faulconer said. 

Recall ballots are in the mail this week, and by next week, all eligible Californians will have the tool to make a choice about the next direction of the Golden State.

"We need to focus in on the task at hand," Newsom said to the gathering.

The recall election is Sept. 14. If you haven’t received your ballot by next week, contact your local registrar of voters. There’s also the option of in-person voting at the polls, which starts Sept. 4.

Associated Press contributed to this story.