California governor receives key AAPI endorsement against his recall

GOVERNOR'S OFFICE

California Gov Gavin Newsom, left, swears in Rob Bonta as Attorney General.

California's Asian American and Pacific Islander voters could be a key demographic in the state's upcoming recall election deciding the fate of Gov. Gavin Newsom.

The AAPI Victory Fund today endorsed Newsom in his bid to stave off a partisan, right-wing attempt to recall him and urged all AAPI voters to vote “no” on the recall.

“We are throwing our support behind Governor Gavin Newsom and asking the AAPI community to send in their ballots marked NO against recalling a progressive Governor of California," said the Victory Fund's Chairman Shekar Narasimhan.

"Governor Newsom has been an ally to the AAPI community and this scurrilous effort by a right-wing minority must be defeated.”

The endorsement is likely aimed at shoring up Newsom's support among Asian American and Pacific Islander voters who helped produce Republican victories in House races in California suburbs in 2020 and are being courted by the GOP.

The diverse AAPI community makes up about 18% of Californians according to the 2020 Census. In the rest of the nation, the AAPI communities comprise about 7% of the population.

The AAPI Victory Fund will support Newsom heavily with canvassing, field organizing and fundraising, and will devote as many resources as necessary to fight back against the extreme, right-wing Republicans seeking the governor's ouster.

The governor has been reaching out to the AAPI and Latino electorate leading up to the Sept. 14 election day. Besides the Victory Fund endorsement, Newsom earlier received the endorsements from the California Asian Pacific American21 (CAPA21), a progressive political action group and 124 AAPI politicians holding elected offices in the state.

Newsom has been a dedicated ally of the AAPI community. He’s repeatedly spoken out against hateful rhetoric and anti-AAPI hate crimes, and he recently approved the first-ever Asian Pacific Islander Equity budget, a historic investment which allocated over $156 million to advocacy groups committed to using noncarceral alternatives to combat violence against the AAPI community. 

He also appointed Rob Bonta as the first Filipino American to serve as the state’s Attorney General.

Republicans are betting that anger and frustration generated by Newsom's aggressive health policies to stem the spread of COVID-19 -- masking, social distancing, -- plus, Trump loyalists and anti-tax advocates will motivate voters against the governor.

Newsom enjoys a number of advantages, chiefly the nearly 2-to-1 voter registration Democrats have over Republicans in deep-blue California. Democrats believe the danger is voter apathy and overconfident voters staying home.

Larry Elder, the conservative radio host who is leading several other replacement candidates in the polls, has also been mired in scandal over allegations of domestic abuse by his ex-fiancée.

But he also helped produce a budget surplus, some of which he used to purchase personal protective equipment for health care workers when the pandemic hit California; instituted environmental policies for cleaner air and water and  used the courts to challenge Donald Trump's anti-immigrant policies.

Polls have shown a tight contest in the recall election, with recent surveys showing Newsom narrowly beating out the campaign to oust him. Newsom has widened his lead this past week from a virtual dead heat to a 4 percentage point margin; 50.6 in his favor and 46.3% wishing to vote him out of office.

Voting day is Sept. 14, but the state has sent out mail-in ballots to all California's voters, which can be mailed in or put in designated drop boxes before election day.