It’s happening. 

In six days Gov. Gavin Newsom will face his fate in the state’s first recall election since 2003 — either he will continue to be California’s governor, or he will be ousted by some GOP political hack who would no doubt turn the state into a pile of chaos. You must vote no to save California from chaos.

This recall election might be the deciding factor on whether the state will complete its comeback from the COVID-19 pandemic or sink back into a hole that might be hard to escape. 

California Republicans have long disagreed with Newsom on gun control, taxes, the death penalty and an array of other issues. As soon as the pandemic came around, they slammed him for making decisions responsible for saving thousands of lives. The truth of the matter is, this recall is as partisan as can be and a power grab by Republicans seeking to exert Trumpian-like control in a Democratic stronghold state. The message that this recall truly sends is that Republicans will go to the greatest lengths to remove a Democrat from office based on heinous reasons. 

Our state is at a critical point in the fight against COVID-19. California is experiencing a seven-day average of over 12,000 cases per day as well as over 100 deaths per day and we are barely at 57% of residents fully vaccinated. Newsom has done an admirable job with the fight against COVID-19, leading California to administer the most vaccine doses of any other state. 

In addition to leading the state’s vaccine campaign, Newsom has been a staunch supporter of mask-wearing, even acquiring a massive haul of masks during the beginning phases of the pandemic when they were in short supply.

Most importantly, Newsom has never backed away from the challenge of being the governor of the most populous state in the nation during the first pandemic in a century. He was never swayed by anything other than the science, which allowed California to stay ahead of the virus, while states such as Florida that have been overwhelmed with hundreds of cases over the past 18 months. 

Even Newsom’s economic plan to get California back on track during the pandemic is unlike anything in the state’s history. In July 2021, the governor’s office announced the $100 billion California Comeback Plan that provided relief to the state’s most pressing issues in and out of the pandemic. This plan gives back to small businesses that were affected harshly by the COVID-19 virus, combats the harmful effects of climate change and invests more into public schools.

Included in this plan was California’s version of stimulus checks after the federal government paused nationwide checks, issuing an up to $1,100 “Golden State Stimulus” check to two out of every three Californians to assist with hardships created by the virus.

Listen, this doesn’t mean Newsom has not made his fair share of mistakes while he has been in office. He has failed to solve the state’s homelessness problem and wildfire crisis, but he has taken preventative actions on these issues like committing $12 billion to ending family homelessness in an expansion of Project Homekey, which sheltered some 36,000 homeless Californians during the pandemic. Additionally, he secured fire prevention grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help in the response to the numerous wildfires that have sprung up across the state in recent weeks. 

While there’s no denying that the French Laundry incident in November 2020, where Newsom defied his own COVID-19 restrictions by being unmasked in a restaurant gathering, wasn’t a giant mistake on Newsom’s part, looking at the candidates on the other side of the political aisle in this recall makes the governor look like a saint.

Reproductive rights, minimum wage and pandemic protective measures would be under attack from Republicans, and the statewide mask mandate would end. Masks are more important than ever now that vaccinated people can contract and spread COVID-19 at higher rates than the Centers for Disease Control expected. California’s vaccination drive and the fight on climate change would come to a screeching halt at a time when the world is at the brink of climate disaster if we don’t get it together. 

This will all be lost in one day if you do not vote no in this recall election.

Larry Elder, the frontrunner GOP candidate, is the complete opposite of what California represents. In a state as diverse and progressive as California, how can you possibly vote for anyone that opposes minimum wage, plans to repeal the COVID-19 mandates on public schools, and supports overturning Roe v. Wade?

Voting out Newsom and allowing someone like Elder to take his position would set California back tremendously. In a time as vulnerable as the last 18 months have been, we need to remain as united as possible or run the risk of completely halting the progress we’ve made thus far.

 Next Tuesday is once again a chance to stand up for what’s right.  California is a state that is supposed to lead the way during a time when lives and human rights are at stake. 

When you go to the ballot box, don’t ask yourself who’s on the ballot, ask yourself what’s on the ballot. 

Vote no on the partisan recall election.