Efforts Underway in California to Recall Newsom and Bass – Have Residents Finally Had Enough?

The entire nation has watched as wildfires in California have destroyed homes and property and taken lives. At this point, no amount of spin from either Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass or Gov. Gavin Newsom will hide the fact that there has been near criminal gross mismanagement of the Golden State for years. But in one of the bluest states in the nation, could it be that people, including many Democrats, have had enough? Gavin Newsom has survived a recall election before. But in light of the raging wildfires that could have been prevented, could he survive another? We might find out.

#ALERT

Jan 10, 2025, 08:54 ET

Governor Gavin Newsom to Be Formally Served Recall Papers in Next Two Weeks Following Los Angeles Wildfire Catastrophe

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Saving California, a newly formed non-partisan coalition of working families,…
— RANDY ECONOMY (@EconomyRadio) January 12, 2025

Saving California, a newly formed non-partisan coalition of working families, professionals, and community advocates, announced today the launch of a recall campaign targeting Governor Gavin Newsom.

A new effort is underway to recall Newsom, who has come under some sharp criticism for his handling of the fires. Newsom's critics have described his leadership, or the lack of it, as a “series of catastrophic failures.” The organizers of this latest recall attempt say they will be filing paperwork in the next two weeks that would begin the process of removing Newsom halfway through his second term.

The recall is being spearheaded by a group called "Saving California." The group calls itself a "non-partisan coalition of working families, professionals, and community advocates" and is headed up by talk radio host Randy Economy. In a statement, Economy said:

“Under the reign of Governor Newsom, living in California has become impossible for average people through years of poor policies which have increased the costs of living, increased crime, increased drug use and homelessness, increased the cost of burden [sic] on small businesses and communities, while decreasing our professional standards, education standards, the disappearance of billions of taxpayers’ dollars to failed pet programs, and our public services. This was most recently demonstrated by the woefully unprepared and incompetent response to the fires currently ravaging the Los Angeles area.”

Economy added that the recall plans had already been in place, but the ongoing wildfires "shortened our time frame and changed things." After a notice of intent is filed, the group has five months to collect 1.3 million signatures. A spokesman for Newsom brushed off the recall attempt, saying that Newsom is “100 percent focused on the fires, ongoing rescue efforts and the recovery process — not politics.”

It took mere hours for the ineptitude of Gavin Newsom and Karen Bass to render the Pacific Palisades a scorched wasteland. To rebuild will be a gargantuan task. The first necessary step must be to recall these two worthless political hacks. #RecallGavinNewsom #RecallKarenBass pic.twitter.com/V2XxpnOmd2
— James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) January 10, 2025

Newsom is focused on politics because he knows he better be as more and more information comes out about the fires. My colleague Jennifer Oliver O'Connell recently reported on Newsom on a conference call to the White House whining to President Joe Biden about "misinformation" coming out about the handling of the fires and his launching a new site, interestingly not connected through the official Governor's website, but through his campaign site, which is designed to combat "misinformation" regarding the fires.

Gavin Newsom last survived a recall in 2021. But could the untenable situation in California make it possible for a successful recall this time? While Saving California is a coalition of people from all over the political spectrum, more specifically, could this latest Newsom disaster have California Republicans thinking now is the time? No one wants to get overly political while homes burn and lives are ruined or lost. But many residents must be realizing that the very people who have been reelected year after year are to blame. Do they really want those same people in charge of the recovery? There will be some who think that if they just elect some different Democrats, things will be different. But has California truly hit rock bottom this time, and are enough Californians angry enough to finally give Republicans a look in 2026 or '28?

Newsom's job is not the only one on the chopping block. There is also a recall petition for LA Mayor Karen Bass, who partied in Ghana with its new President while her city was on fire. That petition currently has around 130,000 signatures.

Californians may have finally had their fill of Gavin Newsom and Karen Bass fiddling while LA burns.

ALSO READ: As CA Wildfires Torch His Political Career, Gavin Newsom Launches a Personal Fact-Check Site