Biden to stump with California governor against Republican-backed recall
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[September 10, 2021]
By Sharon Bernstein
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Reuters) - President
Joe Biden will campaign for California Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday
as Democrats keep rolling out their biggest names to fight a
Republican-backed recall attempt in the deep blue state.
Biden will appear with the embattled governor in the port city of Long
Beach near Los Angeles in the campaign's final rally before the special
recall election on Sept. 14, Newsom campaign spokesman Nathan Click said
in an emailed announcement on Thursday.
On Wednesday, Vice President Kamala Harris campaigned in the San
Francisco Bay Area for Newsom. She painted the recall, heavily supported
financially by state and national Republican groups, as part of that
party's broader effort to oust Democrats from power and expand
conservative restrictions on voting, abortion and LGBTQ rights.
"They think if they can win in California, they can do this anywhere,"
Harris told a crowd of supporters and union members. "Well we’ll show
them you are not going to get this done – not here – never."
The special recall election is being held as the country's most-populous
state faces an unprecedented onslaught of troubles including wildfires,
extreme drought and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The recall question was placed on the ballot after a petition drive by a
conservative group called the Patriot Coalition.
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California Governor Gavin Newsom speaks during an appearance ahead
of facing a Republican-led recall election in September, in San
Leandro, California, U.S., September 8, 2021. REUTERS/Fred Greaves
Democrats outnumber Republicans 2-to-1 in the state,
and a recent poll by the Public Policy Institute of California
showed 58% of likely voters opposed recalling Newsom, a first-term
governor.
But complacency among Democrats could tilt the election toward
Republicans, who are motivated to vote by their opposition to
Newsom's progressive policies on immigration and crime.
The Democratic governor's decision to shut down in-person schooling
during the worst of the pandemic has also angered some
conservatives, as have mask and vaccination mandates.
In addition to stumping for Newsom, Biden will tour a
wildfire-damaged area near Sacramento, visit the National
Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho and campaign for his Build
Back Better agenda in Colorado during his trip to the West next
week, the White House said.
(Reporting by Sharon Bernstein; Editing by David Gregorio)
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