A new poll has revealed conservative radio host Larry Elder is gaining popularity with California voters as Gov. Gavin Newsom faces a recall election in September.
The Emerson College/ Nexstar Media poll, published on Friday, found 48 percent of voters still want Newsom to remain in office, even as momentum for a recall grows. 43 percent of people polled now say they will vote to recall Newsom – up from 38 percent in March.
If Newsom is removed from office, there are 40 candidates currently vying to replace him – and the new poll shows Elder leading the pack.
The 69-year-old Republican gets 16 percent of the vote share among those candidates, ahead of businessman John Cox and former San Diego mayor Kevin Faulconer, who are tied in second place with 6 percent respectively.
Meanwhile, the poll shows Caitlyn Jenner struggling to gain traction among voters despite widespread name recognition. The Keeping Up With The Kardashian star is polling at just 4 percent.
However, a majority of voters – 53 percent – say they ‘don’t yet know’ who they would vote for should Newsom be removed from office.
And it will be an uphill battle for any of the candidates to replace Newsom, given that nearly half of all voters want him to serve out the remainder of his term.
A new poll has revealed conservative radio host Larry Elder gaining popularity with California voters potentially as Gov. Gavin Newsom faces a recall election in September
Meanwhile, the poll shows Caitlyn Jenner struggling to gain traction among voters as Gov Gavin Newsom faces a recall
Elder – who is a black Republican – especially seems like a long shot to win the Governorship in ultra-liberal California.
However, it wouldn’t be the first time a Republican had assumed office following the recall of a Democrat Gov.
Back in 2003, Arnold Schwarzenegger became Governor after Democrat Gray Davis was recalled 11 months into his second term.
Elder only recently announced his bid for Governor.
Earlier this month, he told the Associated Press that he initially was reluctant to become a candidate in a state where Democrats hold a lopsided grip on power in Sacramento. But a number of his Republicans peers, including fellow conservative radio host Dennis Prager, encouraged him to run.
The talk show host added that he is passionate about California issues like its out-of-control homeless crisis, spiking crime rates, water shortages and power outages – in addition to the hit the economy took after Newsom’s coronavirus lockdowns.
‘I have common sense. I have good judgment. I’m born and raised here. I think I understand the state,’ he said.
Elder runs a nationally-syndicated talk show and is a regular guest on Fox News. His website dubs him as the ‘sage from South Central,’ referencing the area of Los Angeles where he grew up.
Edler is one of the newer candidates, and he already has strong name recognition
The talk show host says he is passionate about California issues like its out-of-control homeless crisis, spiking crime rates, water shortages and power outages – in addition to the hit the economy took after Newsom’s coronavirus lockdowns
Elder, who is black, writes on his website that he is ‘unafraid to take on liberals and the Black Lives Matter movement’ and that his political beliefs include ‘returning to the bedrock Constitutional principles of limited government and maximum personal responsibility.’
Some Newsom supporters claimed that the recall is being led by far-right extremists and white nationalists, to which Edler said, ‘Do I look like a white nationalist?’
Compared to the other candidates, Elder said that his name recognition, outsider status and communication skills make him stand out. He is also a staunch advocate for school choice programs, drawing on his experience attending a disadvantaged high school in a historically black neighborhood.
In a statement, Newsom campaign spokesman Dan Newman called Elder ‘another Trump supporter’ attempting to appeal to the former president’s fan base.
The election is set for Sept. 14, though voters will received ballots earlier by mail. The ballot had two parts, one that asks voters if they want to remove Newsom from office and the next asking which candidate should replace him. The votes for his replacement will only be counted if more than half of voters say ‘yes’ to the first question.
The new poll also shows there is growing support for the removing Newsom from office – with 43 percent of potential voters say they would vote to recall, up from 38 percent in March
Many voters already know Newsom from his 10-year career in California office, first as lieutenant governor and as governor in 2018 when he won against Cox. He served as San Francisco’s mayor for the prior six years.
Democrats have said that Newsom is in a better position to defeat the recall now that the state’s economy is open again and its coronavirus case numbers are low.
The recall gained momentum in the beginning of the pandemic when many disapproved of the governor’s lockdown orders. Newsom drew even more ire from his opponents when he was seen at a party with lobbyist friends at a fancy restaurant despite the state being in lockdown.
The governor’s standing also suffered from a multibillion-dollar fraud scandal at the state unemployment agency.