Recall ballots on the way + Pro-Newsom ads hit deep blue Bay Area + CalChamber CEO to retire
Good morning and welcome to the A.M. Alert!
DID YOU GET YOUR RECALL BALLOT YET?
Via Lara Korte...
California election officials are sending out ballots as you read this, which means Gov. Gavin Newsom and Democrats are rallying hard to make sure voters fill them out and return them by Sept. 14.
Newsom on Monday wrapped up a weekend of “Vote No on the Recall” campaign events in San Jose, hitting again on frontrunner Republican Larry Elder and reminding supporters that the recall is urgent.
President Joe Biden last week finally endorsed Newsom in the recall, a much anticipated show of support. On Monday, Newsom brushed aside concerns that the situation in Afghanistan would spoil Biden’s endorsement, saying that he welcomed his presence on the recall campaign trail. Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are expected to show more support for the governor as the election draws near.
Newsom on Monday wrapped up a weekend of “Vote No on the Recall” campaign events in San Jose, hitting again on frontrunner Republican Larry Elder and reminding supporters that the recall is urgent. The latest polll from CBS News showed 48% of likely voters leaning toward “yes” on the recall, compared to 52% who said they planned to vote “no.”
Elder, meanwhile, is still riding the high of an endorsement from the Orange County Register, which is backing him in the recall. It’s the first major California paper to endorse a Republican.
“Elder does not come from a traditional political background, but like Schwarzenegger and former Gov. Ronald Reagan he understands the core challenges that California faces and has a knack for explaining issues in a way that can resonate with the general public,” the OC Register wrote in its opinion.
ANTI-RECALL AD RUNS IN ASSEMBLY DISTRICT 18
As East Bay residents prepare to vote in the Assembly District 18 special election to fill former Assemblyman (turned Attorney General) Rob Bonta’s seat, they can expect to see a new digital ad reminding them to vote “No” in that other special election coming up.
The ad, sponsored by a coalition called the California Alliance — made up of Consumer Attorneys of California, California League of Conservation Voters and United Food and Commercial Workers - Western States Council — puts a spotlight on the Republican Party’s role in putting the recall of Gov. Newsom on the ballot.
“The extremist Republicans behind the recall of Gov. Newsom are putting what we care about most at risk: Leaving a healthy planet for our kids, the good jobs we need to invest in their future and creating communities where they grow up with justice and equity,” said California Alliance’s Lea-Ann Tratten in a statement. “Voters who care about the environment, workers and justice must vote no on the recall to stop the Republican power grab.”
The Assembly District 18 seat covers a deep blue stretch of Alameda County, including Oakland and Alameda. Newswom will want to drump up turnout in communities like that to keep his seat.
The open Assembly seat is being sought by two Democrats — Mia Bonta, president of the Alameda Unified School Board and wife of AG Bonta, and Janani Ramachandran, a social justice attorney.
You can watch the California Alliance’s ad for yourself by visiting here.
CALCHAMBER’S PROLIFIC CEO TO RETIRE
Via Jeong Park...
Allan Zaremberg, California Chamber of Commerce’s president and CEO, will retire at the end of the year after 23 years on the job, the organization announced Monday.
Leading California’s main business advocacy organization through five governors, Zaremberg and his organization found success in both Democratic and Republican administrations.
Under Gov. Jerry Brown, CalChamber was a part of the successful campaign against repealing the state’s gas tax hike. Under Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, CalChamber successfully pushed for sweeping changes to the state’s workers’ compensation system that cut costs for the employers.
Under Gov. Newsom, Zaremberg pushed for more workers to be exempt from Assembly Bill 5, the 2019 law that requires employers to give benefits to more workers.
“I’ve worked for him and against him — but I’ve always admired him,” tweeted Jason Kinney, a Democratic lobbyist and a former political consultant for Newsom. “Allan’s an astute, affable warrior who built one of best top-to-bottom advocacy operations in Sac.”
Zaremberg has had many critics, including for CalChamber’s practice of deeming bills it dislikes as “job killers.”
But the method has worked more often than not. Last year, only one of 19 bills identified as “job killers” became law. This year, the vast majority of the bills deemed “job killers” failed to advance through the California Legislature.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“I wanted one of those fancy portico shots for my official senate photo. We had to change porticos because we didn’t want the freedom from vaccines rally in the background. What a whacky world.”
- Sen. Susan Eggman, D-Stockton, via Twitter.
Best of the Bee:
California Assembly employees must get vaccinated to keep their jobs, top Democrat says, via Hannah Wiley
San Luis Obispo County sportfishing operators are sounding the alarm over proposed new California emissions standards they say would render their boats useless and put them out of business, via Mackenzie Shuman.
President Joe Biden this month signed an executive order to encourage more sales of electric cars, aiming for half of new sales to be zero-emission vehicles by 2030. Alongside him, several automakers promised to increase manufacturing of battery electric, fuel cell and plug-in hybrid vehicles, via Gillian Brassil.
“Like a horror movie.” Sacramento Afghan community fears for friends, relatives in Kabul, via Jason Pohl, Phillip Reese and Rosalio Ahumada.
This story was originally published August 17, 2021 at 4:55 AM.