SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Gov. Gavin Newsom took a large step toward reelection Tuesday after crushing a crowded field of scarcely known challengers in California’s statewide primary, and will face off against a conservative Northern California Republican, state Sen. Brian Dahle.
The Associated Press projected that the 55-year-old Democratic governor will easily move to the Nov. 8 election and a two-person race where he will be heavily favored over Dahle, 56.
Newsom’s dominance comes almost nine months after he easily swatted down a Republican-led recall attempt. The one-two punch showed just how formidable he remains in California politics even after a first term in which he was tested by the tumult of the COVID-19 pandemic, six of the largest wildfires in state history and an ever-worsening homelessness crisis.
