CA Recall: Newsom, Elder To Skip First Election Debate

CALIFORNIA — The first televised gubernatorial debate of the recall campaign will introduce many Californians to four Republican candidates Wednesday evening as the September election date looms.

Hopefuls vying for the governor's job will face off at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in Orange County, where they will offer voters a glimpse at their political platforms and differences in an election season characterized by voter apathy on the left and candidate infighting on the right.

Among the 24 Republican candidates, just four will participate in the debate hosted by FOX 11: Former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, Assemblyman Kevin Kiley, businessmnan John Cox and former U.S. Rep. Doug Ose.

Larry Elder and Caitlyn Jenner, who were also invited to participate, did not accept invitations. Elder was set to participate in a Bakersfield fundraiser, and Jenner was filming a reality television show in Australia, according to multiple reports.

Gov. Gavin Newsom did not respond to an invitation, library officials said.

"Governor Newsom was invited to next Wednesday's debate but hasn't responded," Kiley, one of Newsom's loudest opponents on social media, tweeted last week. "If that's not a good day, I'm happy to meet him at a convenient time and place."

The debate comes at a time as Republicans infighting intensified in the last several weeks.

Elder's spokesperson said he wanted to debate Newsom but warned in a tweet that a "circular firing squad" among GOP candidates would only benefit the governor.

To streamline the election and select a clear party front-runner for the recall effort, the California Republican Party identified four Republican candidates — Elder, Ose, Faulconer and Kiley — to vie for the party's endorsement Saturday. One of the four selected candidates must receive 60 percent of a vote by party delegates Saturday to clinch the endorsement. If no one does, the party will not make an endorsement.

Cox, who was not in the running for endorsement, accused GOP insiders of trying to steer support toward Faulconer. Cox lost to Newsom by a landslide in the 2018 governor's race.

READ MORE: CA Republican Party To Endorse A Recall Candidate This Week

"Changing the rules at this point is a slap in the face to the grassroots activists who made this recall happen," Cox tweeted earlier. "It wasn't the @CAGOP insiders who gathered the signatures, who knocked on the doors. It was the grassroots. Today, I stand with them and NOT the political insiders," he said, further framing the move as "trickery" and "political scheming."

For Kiley, "This is his first real, big opportunity to introduce himself” to voters across the state, his consultant, Tim Rosales, said. "He’s going to be talking about the contrast between himself and Gov. Newsom."

Ose said he intended to make clear that his experience in Congress and his expertise on water, agriculture and energy issues set him apart from his rivals.

"Every candidate on that stage is trying to connect with voters," Ose said, according to The Associated Press. "I always talk about kitchen table issues. These aren’t partisan issues."

RECALL CANDIDATE PROFILE: Doug Ose Aims To Fix Sacramento Without The 'Gimmicks'

Newsom has pushed back against the effort to oust him from office, painting the campaign as 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."

SEE ALSO: Recall Leaders Sue To Block Newsom From Calling Election GOP-Led

Ballots for the Sept. 14 election will start arriving in mailboxes around the Golden State later this month. Voters will be asked whether Newsom should be recalled and who should replace him. If more than 50 percent of voters cast a ballot to recall Newsom, the replacement candidate with the largest share of votes will win the governor's seat.

The recall sprouted in February 2020 before the pandemic severely upended life in California. The effort gained significant traction after Newsom was seen dining at Napa Valley's French Laundry restaurant with top health brass and lobbyists during the same week he told Californians to stay home.

The debate will air Wednesday from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and will also be streamed live on Facebook and YouTube.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

What's A Recall?

California has had recall elections as part of its political system since 1911. The process allows 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.

The state has had 54 previous attempts to recall California governors. Only one governor was recalled in California's history: Gray Davis in 2003.

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