| This week we got news that the Chevron-backed recall effort against Sen. Josh Newman has collected enough signatures to move forward with the Recall.
Now, this doesn’t mean the Recall is automatic. Signatures still need to be verified – and because of the way signatures are collected, a large number of them will be invalid for a number of reasons (for example, people thinking they are registered to vote in one county when they are actually registered in another county). Additionally, Republicans have been caught red-handed lying to voters about what the voters are being asked to sign by telling them it’s a petition to overturn the gas tax. That is significant because voters who are lied to can take advantage of a state law allowing them to have their signature withdrawn from petitions. Local activists are implementing an aggressive program to reach out to these voters and make sure they know they have that right. So despite the gloating in the rightwing media, a special election is not a certainty – we might still be able to #MaulTheRecall before it qualifies. But either way, Democrats can’t be complacent. Republicans are willing to sink to the lowest of lows to win. And they have powerful oil interests like Chevron willing to spend millions and millions of dollars to steal this seat. That’s what we’re up against: Republican lying, cheating and dirty tricks, and Chevron’s dark, dirty and limitless cash. This Recall isn’t just a power grab – it’s an assault on all of us, and the values we share. Josh Newman fights for those values in the State Senate. He voted to fix our dangerous and embarrassingly broken-down infrastructure. He voted for single-payer, Medicare-for-all style healthcare for Californians. And he has been an unwavering champion for California’s veterans. We must defend Senator Newman from Chevron’s lies and Republican cheating. Democrats must #MaulTheRecall. Democratically Yours, Eric C. Bauman, Chair |
