CA Prop. 5 asks voters to change recall rules. Why Dems support it

Was it the second question on the Gray Davis recall that sealed the Democratic governor’s fate?

That’s the question that asked who should replace Davis if voters gave him the boot. State law barred him from competing on that question. And that made him practically roadkill for the international supercelebrity who headlined that second question, Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Twenty-three years later, California Democrats have a plan to turn recall elections into something a little more favorable to incumbents. But they need voters to approve it.

If passed, Proposition 5 would eliminate the second question that voters see in California recalls, reports CalMatters’ Kate Wolffe. It would also set new rules on who should replace an official if they’re recalled — potentially through a special election. Democrats back the proposal, saying that it could deter people from gaming recall elections to secure a seat in office that they might have otherwise failed to win through a regular election.

But San Diego Assemblymember Carl DeMaio and other Republicans oppose it. They argue that by taking away voters’ ability to choose an official’s replacement, Prop. 5 would lead to gaps in representation and dissuade voters from approving a recall in the first place. 

• DeMaio: “If you vote yes on recall, then you’re going to be without a representative for months, if not longer, and so you’re going to silence your community.”

The second question matters. Gov. Gavin Newsom essentially defeated the recall he faced in 2021 when he kept prominent Democrats from putting their names on the ballot — you know, just in case he lost. That let him characterize the recall as an illegitimate Republican coup and cruise to victory.

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Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton is brushing off criticisms over his provocative ad campaign after fellow Republicans slammed the ad for being “creepy,” writes CalMatters’ Jeanne Kuang. 

The ad, which premiered last week, depicts two women sitting on a bed in front of the LGBTQ Pride flag. As one woman expresses nervousness (“I can’t believe I’m doing this”), the other assures her that “it’s not that bad” and guides her hand to vote for Hilton on the ballot. 

Innuendos abound during the ad, and some GOP candidates denounced it for its suggestive nature. Sonja Shaw, a conservative Southern California school board president who is running for state superintendent, said on social media that the ad “crosses a line,” and serves as “a clear example of exactly why good people are walking away from the Republican Party.”

But Hilton says the ads are part of a strategy to court Californians who may have never considered voting for a Republican before. 

• Hilton, to CalMatters: “I’m doing everything I can to win the election because the state desperately needs change.”

Read more.

CalMatters is joining with the news organization Shasta Scout in formally demanding that Shasta County comply with a public records request and release a federal subpoena that the county’s elections chief has described to media outlets. 

The news organizations are considering suing if the county continues to deny the request.

Shasta County Registrar Clint Curtis has told several news organizations that he received a federal grand jury subpoena regarding ballots from the June election. The subpoena should describe what the grand jury is investigating. 

CalMatters tried to obtain a copy of the subpoena under the California Public Records Act, but Shasta County refused. In its rejection of a similar request from Shasta Scout, the county said the document is “shielded from disclosure under federal law.”

The First Amendment Coalition sent a demand letter to Shasta County, which the Board of Supervisors could consider and choose to release the records.

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont on Sunday campaigned for congressional candidate Randy Villegas in Bakersfield. The progressive Democrats hope to flip the historically conservative Central Valley-based district in one of the most closely watched races in the country. But as attendees rallied behind their message of universal healthcare and rejecting corporate influence, Republicans said voting for Villegas is “a rubber stamp for Bernie’s socialist agenda.” Read more from Maya C. Miller.