California Gov. Gavin Newsom Faces Second Recall Effort

California Governor Gavin Newsom is facing another recall effort by conservative activists, who are taking issue with the state’s deficit and Newsom’s handling of issues like homelessness and crime. 

The Details: The effort is led by Rescue California, which sent a recall letter to Newsom’s office on Monday. While a previous 2021 recall attempt was unsuccessful, a member of the group noted that the California governor’s approval ratings had since dropped below 50%. The group asserts that Newsom has “abandoned the state to advance his presidential ambitions.” Newsom responded to the effort on X, saying, “Trump Republicans are launching another wasteful recall campaign to distract us from the existential fight for democracy and reproductive freedom. We will defeat them.” 

For Context: The recall effort needs to collect about 1.38 million verified signatures by May in order to qualify for the November ballot. Some political analysts suggested the recall had a low likelihood of success. 

How the Media Covered It: Coverage from the left was more likely to attribute the recall effort to “Republicans,” and coverage from the right was more likely to label Newsom a “Democrat governor.” Coverage from the right appeared more likely to highlight California’s “budget woes.” Despite occasional partisan framing, coverage reviewed by AllSides was generally similar in providing context from the last recall attempt and highlighting quotes from both Newsom and Rescue California.