Despite previous questions of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s popularity amid a recall effort, the Democrat's standing seems to be on the rise again.
"Things have gone well in the last 4 months," Political Analyst Larry Gerston told KCBS Radio's Lisa Chan. "The pandemic is now seriously on the decline. The federal government has come in with a whole bunch of money. People are going back to work and soon back to school, and the governor is splashing that money around in areas where it’s very helpful."
In early 2021, Gov. Newsom was faced with a recall that ended up qualifying for the ballot. Gerston equated a few key elements to the opposition’s success, including a judge allowing an extra 120 days on top of the 180-day limit for signature collecting and dinner blunder made by Newsom at the French Laundry.
However, if the election was held today, Gerston is confident that Newsom would "walk away with a clean victory."
"Democrats are united," said Gerston. "Republicans are trying to decide whether they should get behind one republican or no, what to do, how to move forward… It’s another reason why it’s pretty good for the governor right now."
Ultimately, Newsom just needs to "continue doing what he’s been doing," said Gerston. "Embracing people, including them in the various projects that will help California get over the pandemic, this will look good for Newsom and will look good for the state."
Earlier this week, the Secretary of State announced that the recall would proceed after only 43 signatures were removed from the petitions.
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