California Residents Renew “Recall Newsom” Effort After LA County Fire

On February 26th, the grassroots organization “Saving California”, the Church in Action, and Hollywood filmmaker Mel Gibson, along with other victims of the devastating wildfires in Altadena, came together for a rally calling for the recall of California Governor Gavin Newsom.

Since Newsom took office as governor in 2019, there have been multiple recall efforts by the public. In 2021, a petition with 2.16 million signatures (surpassing the required 1.72 million) was submitted due to dissatisfaction with Newsom’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to a recall election. However, Newsom won with 55.9% of the vote and was re-elected as governor in the 2022 midterm elections.

The recent destructive wildfires, ranked as the second and third largest on record in California, sparked renewed calls for Newsom’s recall. Altadena, a non-incorporated area north of Pasadena and about 14 miles from downtown LA, suffered extensive damage in the fires. The Eaton fire and Palisades fire in January resulted in a total of 17 and 12 fatalities, with 9,418 and 6,837 structures destroyed, and 1,073 and 973 structures damaged, respectively.

“We need healing for our land, revival for our spirits, and a change in government leadership,” said Pastor Juan Carlos Mendez as he surveyed the ash-filled landscape where churches, homes, and shops had been destroyed, attributing the devastation to the policies, leadership, and incompetency of the governor.

“Saving California” is chaired by Randy Economy, who submitted a petition with 105 signatures to the Secretary of State at the end of January, exceeding the required 50 signatures. Economy previously served as a senior advisor and spokesperson for the “California Patriots” grassroots organization involved in the 2021 recall efforts.

“This is a tragedy,” Economy reflected, recalling how he received a call from Mel Gibson less than 24 hours after Gibson’s house was burned down, leading to their partnership in the recall campaign. Economy stated, “The target for recall remains the same politician. The fires in the past 3-5 years have devastated many lives, showing the incompetence of politicians like Newsom and Karen Bass (Mayor of Los Angeles).”

Gibson recounted sitting with firefighters in a fire truck during the Palisades fire, where their emotional distress was evident, signifying their disappointment. He emphasized the failures of Newsom and Bass, noting over 100,000 signatures demanding Bass’s resignation due to her mismanagement following the fires.

“For living in beautiful California, we pay the highest taxes in the nation (up to 13.3%), expecting better treatment. The governor and the mayor have no explanation for their severe mismanagement and failure to anticipate and address known risks,” Gibson expressed, questioning their competence, indifference, complacency, carelessness, and neglect.

According to CalFire, 8 out of the 20 most destructive wildfires occurred between 2020-2025, while 9 out of the 20 deadliest wildfires happened between 2017-2025. The alarming crime rates, homelessness, inflation, and outward migration from California were also mentioned by Gibson, indicating the challenges in sustaining life in the state.

“I have witnessed the most despicable act of blame-shifting, with the mayor shifting responsibility to the fire captain for revealing the truth about budget cuts, lack of resources, and even fire hydrants without water,” Gibson criticized, expressing doubts about the government’s reconstruction plans and the allocation of funds.

Kalima, a 98-year-old who lost her daughter and home in the fires, shared her heartbreaking experience, emphasizing the need for services, housing, and trauma healing for the thousands who remain traumatised and homeless.

Economy stressed the critical moment of unity among all Californians in the recall effort, transcending partisan politics to address the suffering of the people.

“This is a shareholder’s right to dismiss the board chair,” Economy said, urging Newsom, with nearly two years left in office, to prevent further losses by resigning due to his lack of leadership and empathy. He announced the State Secretary’s approval for the recall petition and invited volunteers to register at “savingcalifornia.vote”, aiming for 11,000 volunteers and sufficient funding to support the campaign.

The recall process was outlined at the rally, with citizens required to submit intent letters to the Secretary of State, followed by a 160-day period to collect around 1.5 million valid signatures, approximately 12% of the total votes in the last gubernatorial election. If the recall petition is successful, two questions will be posed in the recall ballot: 1) whether Gavin Newsom should be recalled as governor, and 2) who should replace him. If over 50% support the recall, the governor will be ousted, and the candidate with the most votes will assume the position.

The recall petition cited concerns about Newsom’s leadership during the Los Angeles wildfires, holding him responsible for rising crime rates, homelessness, drug abuse, and high living costs without effective regulation. The petition highlighted taxpayer money being directed toward Newsom’s political agendas instead of addressing urgent crises.

Despite the challenges posed by escalating crime rates and policies like “zero-dollar bail” (theft under $950 without punishment), the passage of Proposition 36 in November 2024, supported by 58 counties with a high approval rate of 68.4%, overturned Proposition 47, making crime unlawful again in California. If the recall petition succeeds, voters will be asked to decide whether Newsom should be removed as governor and who should succeed him, reflecting the growing discontent with the status quo in the state.