California Republican turnout not high enough to boot Newsom

By MICHAEL R. BLOOD and KATHLEEN RONAYNE
Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) — California Republicans didn’t draw the huge turnout they needed in this week’s recall election to remove Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom. Democrats vastly outnumber Republicans in the nation’s most populated state. Preliminary vote tallies suggest overall turnout was around 55%, about average for a California midterm election and way below the 80% turnout in the 2020 presidential contest. About 64% of the votes counted so far opposed the recall. The pro-recall side appears headed for about about 37% of the total. That’s in line with what the party’s 2018 candidate for governor received in his blowout loss to Newsom. It indicates GOP voters are no more enthused now than then.