The field of Republican candidates seeking to replace Democratic governor Gavin Newsom in next Tuesday’s recall election in California includes the former mayor of San Diego; a businessman who was the Republican gubernatorial nominee in 2018; a former member of both houses of the state legislature who serves on the elected state tax board; and a current member of the state Assembly. All of these candidates have the kind of background that commonly precedes service as a top statewide elected official.
But none of them have much chance of replacing Newsom if he is recalled. Assuming that the polls are roughly accurate, all of these candidates are stuck in the single digits, while the clear favorite candidate of Republican voters—who will likely lead the overall vote for a successor, since no major Democrat is running—is Larry Elder, a conservative talk show host. …
Elder’s success reflects the appeal that a conservative media figure’s candidacy can have among Republican voters—and, more generally, the growing influence of the conservative media universe over the direction of the Republican Party. CONTINUED
David A. Hopkins (Boston College), Honest Graft