He had just begun his second term and voters were agitated over an energy crisis that had led to rolling power outages, looming tax and fee increases and a poor economy. In 2003, Democrat Gray Davis became the first California governor to get recalled. But the coronavirus pandemic, and frustrations over business and school closures, got it on the ballot. The recall began as an effort driven by amateur Republican political organizers upset by Newsom’s positions on immigration, crime and other issues. Conservative talk radio host Larry Elder has been leading in polls. It would almost certainly be a Republican since no Democrat with political standing is running. There are two questions on the ballot: Should Newsom be recalled and, if so, who should replace him? If a majority wants him gone, whoever gets the most support among the 46 names on the replacement ballot will become governor. “Newsom has always had it by the numbers, and he knows that,” said Mindy Romero, director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy at the University of Southern California and an expert in voters and the electorate.Įarly voting has been going on for weeks and more than 7 million ballots have been cast so far. Gavin Newsom, so long as he can get his voters to turn out. But today’s California electorate looks far different than it did 18 years ago: It’s less Republican, more Latino and Asian, and younger - all trends that favor Gov. Yes, the state again is in the middle of a recall election that could remove the Democratic governor from office. (AP) - It’s a familiar refrain among California’s recall watchers: 2021 is not 2003.