Well, well, well, how the tables have turned, now the shoe is on the other foot, etc., etc., etc. While Ron DeSantis basks in the Florida sun and Greg Abbott does the same in Texas now that it’s clear they did not turn their respective states into Jonestown-style death cults, Andrew Cuomo and Gavin Newsom — once hailed as the political heroes of the COVID-19 crisis — are floundering.
So weakened is Newsom that he faces an all-but-certain recall election in deep-blue California. Around 1.3 million signatures of the 2.1 million turned in by organizers have already been verified. To trigger a recall, 1,495,709 (12 percent of the total votes cast in the last gubernatorial race) votes are needed. At that point, petitioners would have 30 days to remove their signatures, then the legislature would have 30 days to estimate the cost of the election. Finally, the lieutenant governor would need to schedule an election within 60–80 days. The ballot would include two questions, one over whether to remove Newsom from office and then another over who should replace him. For the second to matter, a majority must favor recall on the first. If Newsom is defeated, whoever wins a plurality on the second moves into the governor’s mansion.
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