In a highly unusual State of the State address, Gov. Gavin Newsom owned up to his mistakes but insisted he will lead California out of the COVID-19 pandemic.
It’s the closest the governor has come to addressing the recall campaign that is almost certain to qualify for the ballot.
He broke with precedent across the board, delivering the speech from an empty Dodger Stadium instead of at the State Capitol building during the day. Included in the presentation were video clips of frontline workers and the Mars rover landing and didn’t offer the usual laundry list of legislative proposals.
He confronted the looming threat to his political future without actually mentioning the recall by name.
"I know our progress hasn’t always felt fast enough," Gov. Newsom said. "Look, we’ve made mistakes. I have made mistakes. But we own them. We learn from them and we never stop trying. After all, that’s the California spirit. We’re bent, but not broken. Resolved to make better days ahead."
Gov. Newsom said that like the State of California itself, he remains determined.
He added that he won’t surrender to "a partisan political power grab led by naysayers and doomsdayers."
The Democrat rushed through the 28-minute speech without his usual arsenal of 50-cent words. Afterwards, Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins said she felt the governor did what he needed to do.
"I think the governor made an absolutely good case today about why a recall is absolutely an irresponsible thing to be considering right now," she said.
The chairwoman of the California Republican Party felt differently.
We will know before the end of April if voters will get to decide later this year whether Gov. Newsom should finish his term.
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