Counties are still working to verify the signatures on a petition to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom and determine whether or not the recall moves forward.
While it now looks likely that voters will be asked if Gov. Newsom should keep his job, California Democrats face an important choice of their own: whether or not to put a candidate on the ballot.
Running against Newsom could split the party and jeopardize a Democrat’s future in the state if he or she does not win. But failing to put a serious candidate on the ballot could also expose the party if voters decide they want to get rid of Newsom.
So far, most high profile Democrats have said that they will not run.
On KCBS Radio’s "The State of California," Democratic political media consultant Eric Jaye said the potential candidates are doing their due diligence, including keeping a close eye on polling.
"The polls show that while there is increasing anxiety about the direction of California, there is not an appetite at the moment to go through with a recall election."
Gov. Newsom has also been corralling support from prominent Democratic leaders, who have been joining him at press conferences to praise his job performance.
“At the moment it looks like the governor’s strategy of keeping prominent Democrats out is working; it’s working because of the polling showing that the recall is not particularly popular with voters."
Democrats have worked to make the recall a referendum on former President Donald Trump, criticizing the recall effort as a far right movement.
If a prominent Democrat entered the race, that would muddy the narrative.
"That would cause the ground to shift under them and it could become a referendum, a choice between whether or not people got what they were looking for in the governor," said Jaye. "If it’s a referendum on the performance of the state at the moment, then it becomes a dangerous election. Because any governor would be in trouble in the midst of a global pandemic and an economic crisis."
Most of the speculation have swirled about former Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa as a potential candidate, but he has yet to speak publicly about whether or not he would run.
But if California’s last recall taught us anything, it is that surprise candidates can suddenly materialize.
