Gov. Newsom Swings Through Southern California Campaigning With Prominent Democrats

During the weekend, Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) were among the top Democrats making rare appearances in California campaigning with Governor Gavin Newsom against the recall election.

Newsom, who still has a narrow lead in beating the recall according to most polls, focused largely on ethnic communities and the female vote, capitalizing on recent polls that show Newsom having the majority of support in the recall from both demographics.

Senator Warren helped kick off Newsom’s Southern California tour at a rally in Culver City on Saturday. During her speech with Newsom, Warren largely focused on what other GOP-led states have done recently to issues largely affecting women, such as Texas Governor Greg Abbott backing a bill that largely restricts abortion and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis helping the state block funding against schools issuing mask mandates.

“Look at Texas – a governor who is working hard to take away a woman’s right to make decisions about her own body and to block access to abortion,” said Warren on Saturday. “Look at what’s happening in Florida – a governor who’s saying that when public schools want to try to protect kids and teachers with masks that he’s going to cut off their funding.”

However, Warren largely focused on getting people to vote against the recall, speaking out against the current recall candidate frontrunner, radio host Larry Elder, and warning Democrats that he may bring in similar changes. In particular, she noted that, due to the poor health of  Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Elder may pick a Republican for the seat and help disrupt the current Democratic Senate majority.

“I’m in California because the fights are happening right now at the state level,” added Warren. “It’s democracy that’s at stake here. If [Democrats] don’t show up [to vote], people in California could wake up tomorrow and Larry Elder could be their governor and the rights that have so defined California for so long, just gone.

“It comes down to you, California. Voting yes in this recall election means installing Larry Elder as governor. Voting yes means installing one more Republican governor to undercut women, one more Republican governor to put our children at risk, one more Republican governor to grease the skids for the fossil fuel industry. If Larry Elder gets the chance, he wants to take away that Democratic majority. That Democratic majority that gave us a rescue package on COVID so that there was money for our states, so that there was money for vaccines, so there’s money to reopen our schools.”

Klobuchar in California

On Sunday, Newsom attended Los Angeles rallies in MacArthur Park and Chinatown where he was joined respectively by Congresswomen Maxine Waters (D-CA) and Judy Chu (D-CA), pushing for more Democrats to vote and to not count on the Democrat majority of the state.

“One hundred and fourteen thousand jobs created just last month. That’s California, and that happened, not despite our values. That happened because of our values,” said Newsom. “We embrace unions, we embrace social justice, racial justice, economic justice, environmental justice – all of those things are at risk if we don’t turnout the vote.

“In the next nine days, we have an opportunity to reject the cynicism and reject this Republican-backed recall. The consequences of California turning red not blue are profound in terms of the agenda that the senator is advancing, Biden is advancing. ”

Newsom then headed down to Orange County to a Santa Ana rally with Senator Klobuchar. Klobuchar highlighted many of the same issues as Warren the day before, but also gave a special focus to COVID-19 vaccinations and mandates.

“The pandemic, we are turning the corner because, in part, of his good work in getting the vaccine out there,”  stated Klobuchar on Sunday. “Suppressing the vote, going into the Capitol, stopping our democracy. This is the day where the citizens of California can stand up and say no, we own this democracy.”

Californians: If you care about a governor who will take action on climate change, fight this pandemic, and safeguard women’s healthcare, vote NO on September 14! pic.twitter.com/wkD8RwMyAC

— Amy Klobuchar (@amyklobuchar) September 6, 2021

Larry Elder, also campaigning around Los Angeles, noted during the weekend that, he would replace Senator Feinstein’s seat with a Republican if it came up, with his campaign downplaying the two Senators coming out to back Newsom during the weekend.

“Involving others to try to rescue him merely shows that he’s in trouble and are desperately afraid of being kicked out of office very soon,” explained Elder Communications Director Ying Ma in a statement.

Campaign experts also noted the unusual steps Newsom and the Democrats were taking in the recall election.

State, National Democrats fear a GOP win in California, effects it may have in 2022

“They have been ramping up ads and visits like these for weeks,” explained former lobbyist Harry Schultz to the Globe on Monday. “Turn on a TV or watch a video on the internet and it won’t be long before one of his ads plays.”

“Newsom flying in all of these people, including Harris and Biden soon, are really last ditch efforts. Newsom is not trusting those polls and wants to make it clear that Democrats are still on top in California.”

“And the margin is important. Newsom has a recall on him, so his political future is largely in jeopardy. But on a broader scale, a GOP win in California can really shake things up in 2022. Mid-terms are always a change-up year for both houses of  Congress, so if other close races across the country see that California of all states chose a Republican, it can really energize them. Even if Newsom pulls off a win, a close vote, definitely a closer margin than 2018, can signal a turning tide against them. If California of all states is becoming more Republican, why not them?”

“This election is not only terrifying Democrats in California, but it’s terrifying Democrats nationwide. It’s why Warren and Klobuchar had to come out on a holiday weekend away from their families. It’s why Nancy Pelosi and the Democrat party are putting their election machines behind Newsom. It’s why they are vastly outspending the GOP. Even if they win this they can still lose. They’re losing a top Democratic leader in Newsom already, but they’re also losing 2022 potentially. 2024. And more focused on the state, it still shows that the GOP, while having been out for a few rounds, may be on it’s way back in California, or at the very least, are still on their feet. And no Democrat even wants to comprehend that right now. They have thought California as their since Schwarzenegger was out of office. Now look. The GOP is taking back congressional seats, Affirmative action was soundly defeated, and the Governor is facing a recall. It’s too many things to be a fluke.”

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the latter of whom had earlier cancelled a campaign event in California, are among the top Democrats set to appear with Newsom in California in the next eight days as recall election day grows nearer.