With over two-thirds of ballots counted, Newsom enjoys a comfortable 30-point+ lead with most voters choosing “no” on the ballot paper, which asks whether or not to remove him from his position. The Democrats have framed the election as part of a national battle for the party’s values and continued threats from “Trumpism.”
Newsom cast the vote as a win for science, women’s rights, and other liberal issues, and it ensures the nation’s most populous state will remain in Democratic control for at least the next few years. Republican Larry Elder, who was vying to take over from Newsom if he lost the recall, has told supporters to “remain gracious in defeat.”
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Rhonda Furin, Sarah Stephens, and Nickolas Wildstar have each been identified by The Sacramento Bee as candidates who expressed support for QAnon in the past. Media Matters for America, a left-leaning nonprofit, also identified Furin, Stephens, and Wildstar as QAnon supporters in a roundup earlier this summer assessing the role of QAnon in active gubernatorial races across the U.S.
As of 9pm (ET) last night, Furin received 2,614 votes, Stephens received 6,790 votes and Wildstar received 2,215 votes, according to unofficial and partial election results released by the California secretary of state’s office. Stick with Newsweek for the full results.
FULL STORY:QAnon Supporting Candidates Got More Than 11K Votes in California Recall
The state agency was required to submit estimates to California Secretary of State Shirley Weber’s office regarding how much it would cost county and state officials to carry out the election before the date was set. The Department of Finance’s initial estimate said it would cost $215.2 million but the figure was later revised, stating that it would cost counties an additional $28.4 million and the state an additional $32.4 million to carry out the vote.
