Sierra Club Opposes the Recall of Governor Gavin Newsom
A statewide election to recall Governor Newsom is scheduled for Sept. 14, 2021.
Voters will be sent a ballot in the mail beginning on Aug. 16, 2021.
Sierra Club opposes the recall of Governor Newsom for these reasons:
1. Public officials should only be recalled if they demonstrate an incapacity to serve, or (as with an impeachment action) commit bribery, treason or other high crimes or misdemeanors.
California’s low bar for recalls has subjected nearly every governor in the last 20 years to a recall attempt. Even Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who benefitted from the recall of Governor Gray Davis, was himself the subject of nine failed recall petitions. This year’s recall is nothing more than cynical political opportunism in the same way that previous recall attempts were.
2. The motivations and values driving this recall do not align with Sierra Club’s values.
This latest recall effort began in early 2020. While dissatisfaction with the Governor’s actions in response to the pandemic—especially the lockdowns associated with it—have been cited as reasons this recall effort gained steam, the language of the measure itself reveals the proponents’ broader interest in advancing an agenda that Sierra Club does not agree with. The positions expressed in the recall petition are contrary to Sierra Club California positions and the organization’s dedication to social justice.
3. The recall is an expensive distraction.
Recall efforts are expensive (an estimated $276 million cost to taxpayers this time around), they are disruptive, and they distract state agencies from the important work they have to do. This recall in particular is a distraction campaign whose proponents are dead set on undoing the advances we have made on progressive issues, including the environmental and climate wins we have fought so hard for in recent years.
4. Harmful consequences if this recall succeeds.
Should the recall pass, one of the 41 candidates running for election on the September 14 ballot will be elected to serve as Governor for one year, much of which will be spent on running for re-election in 2022 and moving as rapidly as possible to undo conservation and environmental justice programs supported by the Sierra Club. A no vote on the recall is essential to avoid the economic, environmental, and social impact that would result from this untenable situation. A successful recall election on these flimsy pretexts would encourage similar efforts after every election in the future.