CBS News: Governor Newsom Defeats Recall Attempt

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - CBS News has predicted that Governor Gavin Newsom has successfully defeated the recall effort, allowing him to stay in office.

The Associated Press is also echoing that prediction.

Newsom, a Democrat was only the fourth governor in U.S. history and the second in California to face a recall.

The victory cements Newsom as a prominent figure in national Democratic politics and preserves his prospects for a future U.S. run.

He was elected in a landslide less than three years ago.

The recall, which turned on Newsom's approach to the pandemic, mirrored the nation's heated political divide over business closures and mask and vaccine mandates, and both parties will dissect its outcome heading into the 2022 midterm elections.

Newsom got a final push late Monday from President Joe Biden, who warned that the contest could shape the country's direction on the pandemic, reproductive rights and the battle to slow climate change.

In 2003, Californians removed Democratic Gov. Gray Davis and replaced him with Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger. The "Terminator" actor won re-election in 2006, the last time a GOP candidate won statewide office in California.