The Republican National Committee contributed resources to expel California’s Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, for the first time on Thursday, when the local effort to hold a revocation election approached a fundamental limit.
The RNC says it is investing $ 250,000 to support the efforts of state Republicans to gather the nearly 1.5 million petition signatures needed to call the revocation election. Local groups leading the subscription campaign say they have already exceeded 1.5 million subscriptions before the March 17 deadline, but intend to collect more to account for subscriptions that may be considered invalid.
CALIFORNIA LT. GOV. SLAMS RECALLS THE EFFORT, SAYS ‘SHAMEFUL’ TO ANYONE SHOULD RUN TO REPLACE IT
“Governor Newsom’s authoritarian measures, blatant reach and mismanagement of the COVID-19 pandemic have proved that he is woefully disqualified from leading the state of California,” RNC President Ronna McDaniel said in a statement on the investment. “It is time for the people to use their constitutional remedy to remove them from power.”
The RNC will launch a digital outreach campaign to raise awareness of the recall campaign and get California residents to sign petitions, according to the report. In addition, GOP volunteers will call state residents.
The Association of Republican Governors is also closely following the recall effort. Fox News confirmed that the RGA reached people close to the petition movement, communicated with several of the Republican Party’s declared or potential candidates and ordered a vote in the growing race.
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Newsom, which previously enjoyed a broad base of support in the left-wing state, has drawn intense criticism in recent months for its way of dealing with the coronavirus pandemic. Detractors asked the governor to reopen schools, loosen restrictions on local businesses and accelerate a vaccination campaign that ranks among the slowest in the country.
The first and only revocation vote for California’s governor took place in 2003, when the then governor. Gray Davis was removed from office and replaced by film star Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican.
Several Republicans, including California businessman John Cox and former San Diego mayor Kevin Faulconer, have already announced their intention to run for government if the revocation vote occurs.
Paul Steinhauser of Fox News contributed to this report.
This story has been updated.