The recall campaign is picking up speed with Republican candidates holding a series of events over the weekend in Southern California. Four of the top GOP challengers to Gov. Gavin Newsom will be debating the issues during a TV debate on Wednesday at the Richard Nixon Library & Museum in Yorba Linda.
Jeremy White of the Politico California Playbook told KNX that there is only a limited time to reach out to voters.
“Ballots are going to start arriving in voters’ mailboxes in a couple weeks now,” said White.
“So campaigns, whether it's Gov. Newsom trying to save his political life or the Republicans seeking to recall him, you’re going to have that month window there between mid-August and mid-September to get people to fill out those ballots.”
He said he thinks that Larry Elder is emerging as a strong candidate on the Republican side. Regardless, White said the odds are still on Governor Newsom holding on to his job.
In a survey released last week by the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies, conservative broadcaster Elder was found to have 18 percent support.
Raphe Sonenshein from the Pat Brown Institute at Cal State Los Angeles agreed that Elder was the one to watch among Newsom’s Republican challengers. "The emergence of Elder will affect the race. He is leading by almost two to one over more traditional candidates," Sonenshein said, citing Elder experience in media.
Sonenshein also said there is an enthusiasm gap between Democrats and Republicans.
“It doesn’t appear to be a problem at all to get Republicans to vote,” he said.
Despite the poll finding that 47 percent of those surveyed supported the recall, 40 percent of voters remain undecided on who they would want to replace the governor.
Every registered voter will receive a vote-by-mail ballot starting 29 days before the Sept. 14 election date.