Mike Huckabee visits Fresno to slam Newsom over French Laundry party, push recall
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee became the latest person Thursday to visit Fresno while pushing for the recall of California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Huckabee said he was interested in politics in the state because of the influence California has on the rest of the country.
“The fact that Californians are on the precipice of recalling Gov. Newsom is indicative of that he has put himself in this position,” he said inside Pardini’s Catering. “This is not a recall because a handful of Republicans are unhappy with him.”
California’s 21 million registered voters are 46% Democratic and 24% Republican. About 2 million people signed the recall petition.
Huckabee, who was accompanied by former California Secretary of State Bill Jones, pointed to California’s homelessness as a major issue that needs addressing. He was taking part Wednesday in an event from Rescue California, a political advocacy group making a push for the recall.
He also dinged Newsom for attending a birthday party at Napa County’s French Laundry restaurant in November at the same time he was cracking down on public gatherings as coronavirus numbers jumped. Newsom apologized for attending.
“The incident at the French Laundry was one of the most incredible insults to the people of California,” Huckabee said.
The recall effort will likely need a low Democrat voter turnout or to convince more Democrats to support the recall. A Berkeley IGS/Los Angeles Times poll released Tuesday shows that 47% of likely California voters support recalling Newsom, while 50% oppose removing the first-term Democrat.
Fifty percent plus one vote will be needed in order to recall Newsom on Sept. 14.
Recall proponents
The Arkansas Republican was at least the third advocate for the recall to make a public appearance this week.
On Wednesday, former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer was in Fresno to push the recall and pitch himself as the best replacement.
Faulconer touted his proposed tax cut and said he’d invest in water storage if he was elected to run the state.
Assemblymember Kevin Kiley, R-Rocklin, on Tuesday held an event at the Painted Table Event Center. He’s been an outspoken critic of Newsom and has marketed his proposed vaccine passport ban.
Among the 46 candidates running to replace Newsom, conservative talk radio host Larry Elder is leading the pack, with a reported 18% of likely voters supporting him. Faulconer and Kiley each have 10% of that support, according to the Berkeley IGS/Los Angeles Times poll.
Tough on crime
The fathers of two daughters who were murdered in California have also worked with Rescue California, stopping in Fresno on July 19.
Mike Reynolds, who helped create the “Three Strikes and You’re Out” law which mandates tougher sentences for repeat offenders in California, spoke on behalf of the recall. His daughter, Kimber, was murdered in Fresno in June 1992 by a repeat offender.
Marc Klaas was also in Fresno July 19 speaking out against Newsom. His daughter, Polly, was 12 in 1993 when she was murdered by a repeat offender.
Both of those fathers skewered Newsom for not being tough enough on crime, but other members of the Klaas family have advocated against a more punitive justice system.
Polly Klaas’s sisters, Jess and Annie Nichol, have argued “Three Strikes” and other tough-on-crime stances have only led to mass incarceration and disproportionate impacts on people of color.
This story was originally published July 29, 2021 at 10:09 AM.
