Newsom Leads Ad Spending In CA Recall

CALIFORNIA — Gov. Gavin Newsom has outspent his rivals in his bid to maintain stability in office as a recall effort to oust him from office nears.

In August alone, his campaign spent $12.6 million on advertising, according to a recent report. Newsom planned to spend another $70 million.

By contrast, Republican recall supporters have $2.3 million booked, according to numbers from AdImpact, NBC reported.

As the target of the recall, Newsom is allowed to raise unlimited funds for his campaign, giving him a vast cash advantage over his opponents.

The governor's Stop the Republican Recall campaign banked more than $46 million through the end of July, according to figures from the state. Most donations came from public labor unions, tech companies and the entertainment industry. After expenses, the committee had about $26 million in the bank at the end of July.

Conservative talk show host Larry Elder, Newsom's largest competitor, was the second-biggest spender identified in AdImpact's report. Between Aug. 1 and Monday, Elder spent $2.6 million on campaign ads.

The GOP has collectively ramped up ad spending since July, when Newsom's team spent $5.9 million from July 1 to Aug. 2, and recall backers spent just $27,500 within the same time frame, NBC reported.

Other top August spenders identified in the report were John Cox, $1.4 million; Kevin Faulconer, $640,000; and Rescue California, $185,000, NBC reported.

Elder has received a massive amount in donations compared to his GOP rivals; he raised more than $4.4 million between July 12 through July 31, according to numbers from the state.

Elder has gained significant traction since he entered the race. Recently, he's risen in recent election polls and energized Republican voters, despite allegations of abusive behavior toward an ex-fiancee and an investigation into whether he financially misrepresented his income with the state.

His rapid ascent could prove to be a bigger threat to Newsom than polls previously predicted. Elder has promised to reverse California's strict vaccination, testing and masking rules. He has also said that he's critical of gun control, opposes the minimum wage and disputes the notion of systemic racism in America.

If elected, Elder would become the most populous state's first Black governor.

"Young families are leaving; the taxes are going up on gasoline, and this governor is either incompetent or indifferent," Elder has said. "He’s got to go."

By comparison, Newsom's recall fight has been plagued by voter apathy among Democrats.

A staggering 40 percent of likely voters were undecided on who should replace Newsom, according to a recent poll from the University of California, Berkeley's Institute of Governmental Studies.

While there are a handful of Republican hopefuls who have excited voters, most Democrats are still standing solely behind Newsom, despite a few lesser-known Democrats who will appear on the ballot.

Democrats are also urging voters to leave blank question 2 — where voters can select a replacement candidate — amid a lawsuit and allegations that California's recall process is flawed.

Ballots have already hit mailboxes across the Golden State, with voters already deciding Newsom's fate ahead of the Sept. 14 election day.

Newsom has pushed back against the effort to unseat him, arguing that the campaign was one backed by extremists, supporters of former President Donald Trump and those against the coronavirus vaccines.

"This is — and forgive me — a Republican-backed recall where the principal proponent of the recall effort wants to microchip immigrants," Newsom has said. "These folks don't believe in science let alone climate science, and they don't believe in the science behind this pandemic. There's a lot at stake for Californians in this race."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

READ MORE: CA Recall Voter Guide: Who's In And What To Expect

What Is A Recall?

California has had recall elections as part of its political system since 1911. The process allowed the public to attempt to remove an elected public official from office before the end of his or her term. Before a recall election can be initiated, a certain number of voters must sign a recall petition within a specified amount of time.

Read more about California's gubernatorial recall election:

• Recall Candidate Doug Ose Exits Recall Race After Heart Attack
• Larry Elder Faces Claims Of Abuse, Financial Misrepresentation
• CA Recall: Newsom Lambasts Elder On Campaign Trail
• Lawsuit Argues California Recall Is Unconstitutional
• California Republicans Skip Recall Candidate Endorsement
• CA Recall Election: Who Is Running?
• Newsom Recall Election Officially Happening: What To Know
• A Serious Man: Can Kevin Faulconer Run For Governor Without The Gimmicks?
• Follow The Money: Gavin Newsom Recall Edition
• Total Recall: An Illustrated Guide To The Newsom Recall