For the fifth time since he took office just two years ago, there is a campaign underway to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Unlike the previous efforts, this one is making some headway.
But supporters have just over three months to gather the petition signatures to put this on the state ballot, and they only have a little more than half the signatures they need.
Could the governor actually be recalled, as Gov. Gray Davis was back in 2003?
"There’s a long list of reasons to remove him," said Orrin Heatlie, the retired Yolo County Sheriff’s sergeant who’s leading the "Recall Gavin 2020" campaign. Those include the governor abolishing death penalty in California, releasing prisoners early during the pandemic, mishandling gas tax funds and mismanagement of the state’s Employment Development Department, among others.
The group has roughly 800,000 signatures. They need about 1.5 million total.
"We have a vast statewide network that we’ve built throughout the state," Heatlie told KCBS Radio’s "The State Of California." He pointed to a robust social media presence, leading to 75 subgroups across the state.
"There’s people coming in droves to sign the recall," he added. "We’re building momentum on an exponential basis, especially since he’s made this debacle when he shut the state down, but yet, attends birthday parties against his own executive orders."
The governor caught an immense amount of criticism in attending the birthday party for a longtime colleague last month at the French Laundry in Yountville. He later apologized, calling it "a bad mistake."
Still, a majority of Californians approve of the governor’s handling of the economy during the pandemic. A new poll from the Public Policy Institute of California finds 58% of surveyed adults gave Gov. Newsom a thumbs-up in his approach to the economy.
Forty percent disapproved, not too different from a poll in May.
Earlier this week, POLITICO reported some in the governor’s office are growing "increasingly concerned" over the recall effort, which "could mushroom into a major threat in 2021 if it attracts significant financial support."
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