KEVIN FAULCONER

California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom is in an enviable position as he heads into a reelection campaign.

Long-suffering California Republicans are assessing another election disappointment and looking for a way forward.

California's long-suffering Republicans endured another embarrassing loss when Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom easily defeated an attempt to drive him from office.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom turned back a recall attempt by motivating fellow Democrats who showed little interest during much of the campaign.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has ably fended off Republicans' recall attempt.

California voters headed to the polls Tuesday to cast final ballots in an election focused on whether Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom should keep his job.

California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom has emphatically defeated a recall aimed at kicking him out of office.

The closely watched recall election that could remove California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom from office wraps up Tuesday.

President Joe Biden is putting the stakes of the recall election that could remove California Gov. Gavin Newsom from office in stark terms.

The closely watched recall election that could remove California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom from office wraps up Tuesday.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom and his Republican rivals are making their final pitches to voters as the recall against the governor winds to a close.

In two months, Larry Elder went from conservative talk radio host to leader of the Republican field in the California recall election that could remove Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.

The recall election against California Gov. Gavin Newsom stems from two key events on a single day last November.

California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom has been attacking his Republican rivals as “anti-vax” as he looks to keep his job in a recall election.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is facing a recall election Sept. 14 that could remove him from office.

A Republican hasn't won a statewide election in heavily Democratic California in 15 years.

If California voters recall Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, they could replace him with a 29-year-old YouTube star.

A day after facing allegations that he emotionally mistreated a former fiancee, Republican Larry Elder scheduled two weekend rallies and showed no outward signs of altering the course of his campaign in the California recall election that could remove Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is facing a recall election Sept. 14 that could remove him from office.

California Republicans have long viewed Kevin Faulconer as someone moderate enough to win back the governor's office in the heavily Democratic state.

Caitlyn Jenner has kicked off a monthlong recall campaign tour by raising new questions about her motive for launching her bid to become California’s next governor.

California Republicans have sidestepped a potentially nasty fight over endorsing a candidate in the state's upcoming recall election that could remove Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Conservative talk radio host Larry Elder is putting on a display of fundraising strength in his bid to become California's next governor.

The next test for Republican candidates who hope to oust Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom in a September recall election comes this weekend with a fight over a coveted endorsement by the California Republican Party.

Project Homekey is set for a massive expansion in California.

Four Republican candidates skirmished in their first debate as they head toward California's Sept. 14 recall election that could remove Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom from office.

Republicans are facing tough odds of ousting liberal Gov. Gavin Newsom in a recall election in heavily Democratic California.

California Republicans see a chance of ousting embattled Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom in a September recall election.

California's recall ballot is finally set, but the state Republican party is still determining its best strategy for winning back the governor's office in one of the nation's most Democratic states.

Conservative talk radio host Larry Elder will be a candidate in California’s upcoming recall election aimed at removing Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom from office.

The list of candidates running in California's recall election of Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom includes 41 people but remains unsettled.

Caitlyn Jenner has held her first news conference as a Republican candidate for California governor.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is facing a recall election Sept. 14 that could remove him from office.

California has scheduled a Sept. 14 recall election that could oust Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom from office.

California has scheduled a Sept. 14 recall election that could oust Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom from office.

Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to make sure Californians know about the cash payments and prize money he's doling out as the scheduling of a recall election date looms.

California officials announced six weeks ago that Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom would face an almost certain recall election.

Five more California counties will move to less restrictive tiers because of improving COVID-19 conditions and no counties regressed.

California’s Gavin Newsom is showing why it’s tough to unseat an incumbent governor.

Republican Kevin Faulconer wants to eliminate state income taxes for households making up to $100,000 as part of a proposal to make California more affordable for the middle class.

Caitlyn Jenner's Republican campaign for California governor has elicited angry reaction from some members of the LGBTQ community.

Caitlyn Jenner's Republican campaign for California governor has elicited angry reaction from some members of the LGBTQ community.

Caitlyn Jenner is continuing the slow rollout of her campaign for California governor with an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is winning support from top Democrats including Vice President Kamala Harris as he prepares to face a recall election later this year.

Caitlyn Jenner announced her candidacy for California governor last week but has yet to speak publicly about her campaign.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s critics almost certainly have qualified a recall election for the ballot, a remarkable feat in the heavily Democratic state.

Caitlyn Jenner is considering a run for California governor.

California is turning to a simpler, statewide approach as it prepares to lift most pandemic restrictions on businesses and workplaces by June 15.

Latino voters who have been hard hit by the pandemic could be a key group of voters in Newsom's potential recall election. “If they're successful in doing that then certainly the Latino vote could be persuaded to vote for the recall," Alvarado said. “Latino voters are incredibly important to our campaign, to Kevin personally, and to our pathway to victory,” he said. He said the campaign is partnering with community-based organizations that understand the diversity within California’s Latino communities and deploying surrogates to speak around the state. For both sides, the key will be to connect their outreach to Latino voters’ individual experiences, she said.

Newsom is facing the possibility that he could be removed by voters in a recall election later this year, in the midst of his four-year term. Gavin Newsom is facing the possibility that he could be removed by voters in a recall election in the midst of his four-year term. Here’s how it works:WHAT IS A RECALL ELECTION? Unpopular Democratic Gov. The second question would be a list of replacement candidates to choose from, if voters recall the governor.

FILE - In this Oct. 8, 2014, file photo Republican Doug Ose speaks during a debate in Sacramento, Calif. Ose says he's entering the recall election aimed at ousting Democratic Gov. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File)LOS ANGELES – Former Republican congressman Doug Ose announced Tuesday he’s entering the recall election aimed at ousting California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a day after the Democratic governor began raising money to defend his seat in a likely election this year. There were 135 on the ballot in the state's 2003 recall election that removed former Democratic Gov. So far, no prominent Democrat has entered the recall election.

FILE - In this Nov. 21, 2020, file photo, Trump supporters shout slogans while carrying a sign calling for a recall on California Gov. Gavin Newsom will face a recall election that could oust the Democrat before his first term ends. But a series of bureaucratic checkpoints must be cleared before the secretary of state’s office determines that the requirements for scheduling a recall election have been satisfied. An exact signature match is not required — “similar characteristics” in the writing are sufficient when comparing the petition signature with those in election records. The recall proposal must move through time-consuming steps along the way, including giving voters a 30-day window to withdraw their names from the petitions if they choose.

Newsom and his Democratic allies launched a political committee Monday, March 15 to stop a proposed recall election that could oust him from office. Orrin Heatlie, a retired county sheriff's sergeant who filed the recall petition, said Newsom is engaging in a “smear campaign" about the recall organizers because he can't defend his record. Defeating the recall “will be one of the most important priorities for Democrats this year,” Booker said in a statement. Newsom for months sidestepped questions about the recall but has more recently started to ramp up his political operation and strategy. AdResponding to Newsom’s campaign, the California Republican Party pointed to a slew of issues beyond the coronavirus.

Gavin Newsom delivers his State of the State address from Dodger Stadium Tuesday, March 9, 2021, in Los Angeles. He urged California's nearly 40 million residents to “dream of brighter days ahead” while acknowledging mistakes that have put his political future on the line. Newsom sometimes is given to overstatements and stretched the truth while referring to the state's vaccine program and its pandemic death rate. “This is our moment to create the California we all want to live in.”___Beam reported from Sacramento. Associated Press reporters Kathleen Ronayne and Don Thompson contributed from Sacramento, California.

It comes about a year after his first coronavirus stay-at-home order and as he faces a potential recall election. Gavin Newsom is facing the possibility that he could be removed by voters in a recall election in the middle of his four-year term. Unpopular Democratic Gov. WHY IS THERE A RECALL DRIVE AGAINST DEMOCRATIC GOV. The second question would be a list of replacement candidates to choose from, if voters recall the governor.

That makes Tuesday's State of the State a critical step for keeping voters on his side. Dr. Mindy Romero, founder and director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy at the University of Southern California, said the speech is an opportunity and a test. “Sports is a rallying cry that is bipartisan," said Jaime Regalado, an emeritus professor of political science at California State University, Los Angeles. AdNewsom's approval rating fell from 65% last spring to 54% last month, according to the Public Policy Institute of California. “We must all unite to oppose the recall in California."

(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)LOS ANGELES – California Republicans eager to recall Democratic Gov. The head of the state Republican Party, Jessica Millan Patterson, is being challenged at a GOP convention this weekend by longtime conservative activist Steve Frank, who says the state party is attempting to silence conservative voices. Ad“This is California’s version of the national battle for the soul and the future of the Republican Party,” said Thad Kousser, a political science professor at the University of California, San Diego. But “just when the Republican Party in California is showing signs of life, it’s deciding to cannibalize itself,” Kousser added. For long-suffering California Republicans, party infighting could divide their ranks and make it more challenging to oust Newsom.

President Joe Biden speaks during a meeting with labor leaders in the Oval Office of the White House, Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021, in Washington. Teachers’ unions have said they support reopening schools once officials are able to make the buildings safer, but they need the $130 billion included in Biden's proposed American Rescue Plan to make it happen. “As the months have rolled by and the data have poured in, it’s become clear that schools can open safely.”“An administration that puts facts and science first would be conducting a full-court press to open schools,” McConnell said. And Dr. Anthony Fauci, the administration's top infectious disease expert, said it would be “non-workable” for every teacher to get vaccinated before schools reopen. And with his 100-day goal for schools, Biden is taking responsibility for something that he cannot ultimately control.

President Joe Biden speaks during a meeting with labor leaders in the Oval Office of the White House, Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021, in Washington. Teachers’ unions have said they support reopening schools once officials are able to make the buildings safer, but they need the $130 billion included in Biden's proposed American Rescue Plan to make it happen. “As the months have rolled by and the data have poured in, it’s become clear that schools can open safely.”“An administration that puts facts and science first would be conducting a full-court press to open schools,” McConnell said. And Dr. Anthony Fauci, the administration's top infectious disease expert, said it would be “non-workable” for every teacher to get vaccinated before schools reopen. And with his 100-day goal for schools, Biden is taking responsibility for something that he cannot ultimately control.

Newsom's challenging year has already encouraged Republicans who have signaled they are likely candidates, including former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer and Newsom's 2018 rival, businessman Cox. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File)LOS ANGELES – Republican John Cox formally opened his campaign for California governor Monday with a TV ad depicting his leading GOP rival as a political twin of Democratic Gov. Cox's main target in the ad is another Republican, former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, who entered the race last week. A statement from Faulconer's campaign depicted Cox as a perennial candidate with a long string of losses behind him. “John Cox needs a fresh start after ... repeatedly losing in landslide elections," Stephen Puetz, Faulconer's campaign manager, said in a statement.

Gavin Newsom has gone from a governor in command to one lurching from one political crisis to the next. Some Democrats are now starting to whisper about the need for a backup plan should voters decide the first-term governor needs to go. Newsom last week called the idea that he's making decisions based on politics “nonsense," but he's otherwise sidestepped commenting on the recall. Gray Davis, for lessons as they debate whether its worth standing behind Newsom or finding an alternative. Dan Newman, Newsom's political strategist, said he's not worried about the party turning on Newsom and that facing the ire of voters is part of the job.

A surge that started in mid-October made California the nation’s COVID epicenter before numbers improved in the new year. Four regions accounting for virtually all the state's nearly 40 million residents were put under the stay-at-home order in December and three remained there until Monday. The first two confirmed cases of the virus were reported in California a year ago Tuesday. While acknowledging that deaths and hospitalizations remain tragically high, Ghaly pointed to the recent virus data as evidence of a steady and pronounced downward trend. Ghaly said health officials are aware of the potential for a resurgence and could ratchet up restrictions if conditions worsen.

Last week, state health officials told The Associated Press they were keeping all the data secret because it is complicated and might mislead the public. Dr. George Rutherford, an epidemiologist and infectious-diseases control expert at University of California, San Francisco, was among the critics. Gavin Newsom announced a new stay-at-home order that was based on ICU capacity in each of five regions. At a news conference with Newsom, California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly promised to reveal some of the information behind the projections. But it’s currently stuck at 9.9% — virtually the same level it was two weeks ago when state officials abruptly lifted the stay-at-home order there.

State Democratic Party Chair Rusty Hicks led a group of Democratic officials who described the effort to remove Newsom as a coup and claimed, without evidence, that those involved were far-right extremists. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, Pool, File)LOS ANGELES – California Republicans on Wednesday seized on a bungled Democratic attempt to link the proposed recall of Gov. The criticism came as the Republican Party of Orange County launched a new round of fundraising appeals for the recall, saying Democrats were attempting to enflame political tensions at a time of national strife. “Linking a legal and constitutionally appropriate (California) recall attempt to the violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol and ongoing coup attempt is worse than a bad PR call. Unlike a coup, typically a violent and illegal attempt to seize power, recall elections are authorized under state law.

Babbitt was fatally shot by an employee of the Capitol Police inside the U.S. Capitol building in Washington on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, while the rioters were moving toward the House chamber. Capitol Police on Thursday identified Babbitt, 35, as the woman who was fatally shot by an unidentified officer. “Mask Free Autonomous Zone Better Known as America," read a large sign on the front door of a pool service business she ran with her husband in Spring Valley, near San Diego. No one answered the door Thursday at the business or the couple's home, a modest duplex in San Diego. Babbitt’s ex-husband, Timothy McEntee, called her a “wonderful woman with a big heart and a strong mind” in an email to The San Diego Union-Tribune.

The four-tiered, color-coded system ranks counties based on the number of virus cases and infection rates. LA is the largest county, with 10 million residents, and has had a disproportionately high percentage of the state's virus cases and deaths. California has the most confirmed virus cases in the nation, with nearly 700,000, and the third-most deaths 12,690. To reach that tier, counties must have less than one new coronavirus case per 100,000 people each day and less than 2% of tests come back positive. He suggested the reopening allowed in the red tier which includes restaurants, churches and movie theaters could jeopardize the countys efforts with schools.