California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday became the second governor in U.S.

history
to defeat a recall aimed at kicking him out of office early, a contest the
Democratic governor crafted as part of national battle for his party’s values in
the face of the coronavirus pandemic and lingering threats from “Trumpism.”

The victory cements Newsom as a prominent figure in national Democratic politics

and preserves his prospects for a future U.S. run. It also ensures the nation’s
most populous state will remain in Democratic control as a laboratory for
progressive policies on immigration, climate change, representation and inequality.

“’No’ is not the only thing that was expressed tonight,” Newsom said at a news
conference. “I want to focus on what we said `yes’ to as a state: We said yes to
science, we said yes to vaccines, we said yes to ending this pandemic.”

A Republican almost certainly would have replaced Newsom had the recall succeeded,
bringing a polar opposite political worldview, though they would have had to
contend with a state Capitol dominated by Democrats.

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The recall, which turned on Newsom’s approach to the pandemic, mirrored the
nation’s heated political divide over business closures and mask and vaccine
mandates, and both parties will dissect its outcome heading into the 2022 midterm
elections.

President Joe Biden sought validation of the Democratic Party’s approach of tighter
restrictions and vaccine requirements, urging Californians to show the nation that
“leadership matters, science matters.” The race also was a test of whether
opposition to former President Donald Trump and his right-wing politics remains a
motivating force for Democrats and independents.