5 takeaways after California governor handily defeats recall

By NICHOLAS RICCARDI
Associated Press

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has ably fended off Republicans’ recall attempt. He did so by changing the stakes of the contest from a referendum on his own performance and into a partisan fight over Trumpism and the coronavirus. But Tuesday’s recall offered its own lessons. It showed that Republicans’ groundless claims of election fraud aren’t going away anytime soon. Even while ballots were still being cast, Republicans were claiming the election was “rigged.” But the recall was always a long shot in a state where registered Democrats outnumber registered Republicans by nearly 2-to-1 and where the GOP hasn’t won a statewide election since 2006.