Governor Gavin Newsom will remain in office after a majority of Californians voted against the recall.
The election was called quickly after polls closed, when it became apparent the governor would not be recalled from office.
Randall Jordan is the Chairman of the San Luis Obispo County Republican Party. He said he was disappointed but unsurprised by the results.
He said he attributes the loss to acts of voter fraud.
“All we want is good, fair elections. We want to be left alone, we want freedom and we want our voice to be heard,” Jordan said. “That’s what makes me sad — those people don’t have a voice anymore.”
CapRadio reported in 2020 that California elections officials and nonpartisan observers said after the 2016 election, there were no widespread reports of voter fraud, and the state has some of the most stringent voter verification laws in the country.
Former San Luis Obispo County Clerk Recorder Tommy Gong has consistently denounced voter fraud and said there are checks and balances in place to maintain the safety of every election.
Rita Casaverde is the Chair of the San Luis Obispo County Democratic Party. She said she is happy with the results, but she is frustrated by the monetary expense of the process.
“We knew that the no would probably win but we didn’t know that it was going to be such a landslide win and that it was going to be called so quickly,” Casaverde said. “At the same time, it’s really hard to be excited knowing that the state has now spent $276 million on this election.”
That was the final cost estimate issued by California Secretary of State Shirley Weber. However, in an interview with ABC News, she said the state could see the total cost of the recall election coming in around $300 million or more.
With 71 percent of the votes reported as of 5 PM ET, September 15, Governor Newsom is maintaining his position — with 64 percent of voters saying ‘No’ to the recall.
