WASHINGTON – California voters are deciding now if Gov. Gavin Newsom gets to keep his job. Their verdict could reverberate far beyond the state.
Top officials from both parties are preparing to parse the results of next month’s unexpectedly competitive recall election for what it means for next year’s midterm election, control of the U.S. Senate, and a Democratic Party that once thought it had a tight grip on the country’s largest state.
Adding to the scrutiny is a growing sense, bolstered by polls, that the Democrats’ and President Joe Biden’s political fortunes have waned in recent months because of a resurgent coronavirus pandemic and the tumultuous exit from Afghanistan. A loss for Newsom in deep blue California would underline the view that a party that won unified control of Washington less than a year ago is already facing a voter-led backlash.
