SACRAMENTO — Earlier this year, it seemed Gov. Gavin Newsom had a lot of advantages heading into the recall election.
COVID-19 vaccines became available and the coronavirus pandemic finally waned. Newsom wielded a state budget flush with a historic surplus and showed off his spending priorities at press conferences all over the state.
The first-term governor and the Democratic party had major donors, a super majority in the Legislature, and almost half of all registered California voters on their side.
Now Newsom and the Democratic Party have to make sure the state's 10 million Democratic voters show up for him.
Recent polling suggests that may be a bigger challenge for him than his party expected even last month. Newsom's opponents are far more motivated than his supporters to turn out in the recall election next month, raising the potential for his removal.