SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Gov. Gavin Newsom took a large step toward reelection Tuesday after quickly besting a crowded field of scarcely known challengers in the primary, though the size of his first-round victory was unclear immediately following the closing of polls in California.
The Associated Press projected that the 55-year-old Democrat would easily move to the Nov. 8 election.
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.
