The recall election that could boot California Gov. Gavin Newsom out of office is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 14, the state’s lieutenant governor announced Thursday.
The proclamation followed the certification of the recall election by Secretary of State Shirley Weber’s office earlier on Thursday.
“Although the window of time from which I could select a date was narrow, I believe we have chosen a fair and reasonable date for this election to take place,” said Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis in a statement. “It has always been my intention to choose an election date that gives election officials and the public ample time to ensure a smooth election with broad participation.”
CALIFORNIA DEMOCRATS SEEK TO CHANGE RULES AHEAD OF NEWSOM RECALL
The campaign to force a recall election succeeded after Weber’s office verified 1,719,900 signatures on the corresponding petition, a number which exceeded the approximately 1.5 million needed under state law.
Newsom targeted Weber with a lawsuit on Monday, seeking to ensure his party affiliation as a Democrat would be included on recall ballots. An “inadvertent but good faith mistake on the part of his elections attorney” accounted for his party affiliation being left off his answer to the recall, the lawsuit said.
When the Governor is the subject of a recall, the CA Constitution requires the Lt. Governor to declare the recall election. Today @CASOSvote certified the recall & Lt. Governor Eleni Kounalakis issued a proclamation declaring a gubernatorial recall election on Sept. 14, 2021.
— CA Lieutenant Governor (@CALtGovernor) July 1, 2021
“Petitioner is beneficially interested in ensuring that his party preference election appears on the recall ballot as provided in Elections Code section 11320 to ensure that voters are able to make a more informed choice when deciding how to vote in the upcoming recall election,” the court filing said.
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As the state’s chief elections official, Weber could identify Newsom as a Democrat because a date had not yet been set for the election, and she had not certified the recall at the time the suit was filed, the filing argued. Both of those things have now occurred.
Weber’s office did not immediately respond to the Washington Examiner’s request for comment about what the certification and setting of date will mean for Newsom’s suit.
