Gavin Newsom is projected to remain the governor of California.
Shortly after polls closed for the state's gubernatorial recall election at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, CBS News estimated that Newsom had enough votes to stay in office.
If Newsom is certified as the winner on Oct. 22, he will remain in office through the remainder of his term. Newsom can run for re-election next year, with the statewide primary scheduled for June 7, 2022.
Newsom addressed reporters shortly before 9 p.m. on Tuesday, saying he was "humbled and grateful" to the California voters who "overwhelmingly" voted against removing him from office.
"Thank you for rejecting this recall," Newsom said to conclude his remarks.
After six recall attempts within the first 18 months of his term, Tuesday's election was the first to qualify for the ballot. A Superior Court judge in Sacramento extended the signature deadline from Nov. 17, 2020 to the following March 17 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Nov. 6, 2020, the same night the petition deadline was extended, Newsom attended a dinner for a political advisor at French Laundry in Yountville, violating California’s guidelines at the time barring state residents from gathering with people from more than three households. Newsom initially told reporters it was an outdoor event, but photos later surfaced of him and other attendees not wearing masks indoors.
Thanks in part to Newsom's French Laundry appearance and frustration at California's COVID-19 restrictions, the recall petition had enough signatures to qualify for the ballot.
Only 43 people ultimately removed their signatures, and the state on July 1 scheduled the recall for Sept. 14. Polling in August projected Newsom had about a 50-50 chance of being recalled, according to FiveThirtyEight’s polling averages, and conservative talk radio host Larry Elder quickly emerged as the frontrunner among replacement candidates.
But Newsom started pulling away in polls by the end of August, relying on prominent national Democrats to speak out on his behalf. Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and former President Barack Obama all appeared in advertisements or on social media to blast the recall efforts and call on Californians to keep Newsom in office.
Vice President Kamala Harris, formerly California's junior senator, and President Joe Biden both visited the state within the last week of the campaign. Newsom and anti-recall committees also raised a combined $83 million, according to the Los Angeles Times, nearly double the $45 million raised by pro-recall candidates and committees.
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