Editorial: A sigh of relief for California as Newsom prevails in the recall election

Phew.

After months of worrying about the fate of California, we will sleep easier now that Gov. Gavin Newsom will not be removed from office early and replaced by right-wing provocateur Larry Elder, a radio host with no experience in elective office and who doesn't seem interested in being a governor for all Californians — only those who share his extremist, intolerant views.

Californians voted overwhelmingly to keep Newsom in office. This is what the recent polls predicted, based on the early and heavy turnout of Democratic voters, who outnumber Republicans nearly 2 to 1 in California.

Elder, as expected, led the field of replacement candidates. He admitted defeat Tuesday night, telling supporters, "We may have lost the battle. But we're going to win the war." It was a nice surprise given that before election day, Elder and other Republicans had seeded the suspicion that if the recall failed it would be due to fraud rather than the more plausible scenario that millions of voters, most of them Democrats, heard what Elder had to offer and said "no thanks."

Voters evidently saw through the smokescreen that recall proponents threw up about how Newsom was responsible for every bad thing that has happened in California over the last few years: wildfires, COVID-19, homelessness, crime, income equality, and on and on.

The decision to reject the recall is the best outcome for California. Even if you dislike Newsom, it would have been a disaster to abruptly hand over leadership of the state to Elder or any of the other 45 people listed on the replacement ballot in the middle of a public health crisis and with a regular election little more than a year away. Moreover, Newsom has been a strong leader during one of the most challenging periods in California's recent history. It would have been madness to swap him for anyone, let alone someone with no relevant experience.