The GOP effort to recall California Gov. Gavin Newsom is not going well

The Republican effort to recall California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom has not caught steam, with a new poll released Wednesday finding that 57% of voters want to keep him in office.

The poll from the Public Policy Institute of California found that 40% of voters would vote to recall Newsom, the exact same number as March, when organizers were close to garnering enough signatures to force the recall election.

Support for the recall election, for the most part, tracks with California’s 2018 gubernatorial election results, when Newsom defeated GOP opponent John Cox, 62% to 38%.

Republicans say they are seeking to recall Newsom over his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, including social distancing measures and closures to stop the spread of the deadly virus. However, the poll found 64% of voters approve of Newsom’s pandemic response.

The poll shows just how difficult it will be for Republicans to oust Newsom in the heavily Democratic state of California, which President Joe Biden carried with a whopping 63.5% of the vote in 2020.

“The remarkably stable opposition to the recall of Gavin Newsom is driven by a large and consistent partisan divide that favors the Democratic governor,” Mark Baldassare, president and CEO of the Public Policy Institute of California, said in a news release.

It’s still unclear when the recall election would happen. A local ABC affiliate in California reported that it will likely happen in the fall.

However, if current polling holds, the race will be over before it even begins.

That’s because according to California recall rules, voters will first vote on whether to recall Newsom. That vote must garner at least 50%, which polling shows Republicans are far from achieving.

If the recall vote proceeds, then voters would choose a Newsom replacement.

The current crop of Republicans hoping to replace Newsom is large and includes ex-reality TV star Caitlyn Jenner, former San Diego Mayor Kevin Falconer, and Cox, who Newsom soundly defeated in 2018.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.