Democrats join recall effort against Newsom as a new political challenger announces he’s running for governor
(The Center Square) – Some heavy-hitting Democrats are joining the recall effort against Gov. Gavin Newsom, a movement that has gathered more than 1.2 million signatures in seven weeks.
This week, a new challenger to Newsom also emerged.
Tech billionaire Chamath Palihapitiya, who supported Michael Bloomberg for president, announced his support for the recall. He also announced he is running for governor. On Twitter, he said, “It’s on. #RecallGavinNewsom https://chamathforca.com.”
A former Facebook executive, Palihapitiya’s campaign website states, “California is a mess – it’s too expensive, our teachers are underpaid, and our schools aren’t good enough.”
His platform calls for the elimination of the state tax, a $70,000 salary for teachers and a payment of $2,000 for every child born in California. His proposals emphasize keeping residents and businesses in California “after the state’s population declined for the first time since at least 1900.”
Doug Leone, a billionaire venture capitalist at Sequoia Capital, and his wife donated a combined $100,000 last week to Palihapitiya’s campaign, as did the family of Dixon Doll, another venture capitalist.
David Sacks, a tech executive who with his wife donated $60,000 to Newsom’s 2018 campaign, also supports the recall and Palihapitiya. He tweeted, “53% of Californians are thinking of leaving; 63% of Californians believe the American Dream is dead here. We don’t need to give in to cynicism or resignation. We just need to have the courage to make a change. http://Chamathforca.com.”
Sacks referred to Palihapitiya as a “centrist Democrat” on Bloomberg TV, and criticized Newsom’s shutdown policies, saying, “If you listen to most scientists, they’ve changed their minds about lockdowns.”
Orrin Heatlie, the lead proponent of RecallGavin2020.com, said, “The recall effort against Governor Gavin Newsom has reached critical mass and continues to build momentum.”
Signers cite increasing taxes, skyrocketing cost of living, ongoing shutdowns based on data not released to the public in response to numerous public records requests, numerous lawsuits filed against the governor and local officials, and a population decline never recorded before in California history.
The California Democratic Party claims the recall effort was organized by Trump supporters or “white supremacists.”
State Rep. Kevin Kiley, R-Rocklin, who has so far successfully sued Newsom, said, “The Democrats’ political director just accused me of somehow fueling domestic terrorists by opposing the Governor’s policies. This vile smear follows the infamous ‘California Coup’ event, where Newsom’s cronies likened a citizens’ movement 1.3 million strong to a violent overthrow of the government.”
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