California remains firmly in Democrat control. Mississippi, not so much.
Mississippi Democrats are celebrating with their West Coast counterparts as California Governor Gavin Newsom fought back the recall effort to remain in office.
Just thirty minutes after the polls closed, the margin of victory for Newsome was above 30 points, prompting California election officials to call the race early in the night.
The recall effort was largely based in response to Newsom’s heavy-handed government response to COVID-19, mandating masks and shutdowns over the past two years. Republicans saw an opportunity to put those responses to the test, and largely backed conservative commentator Larry Elder as their candidate of choice.
Until last week, polls were showing Elder and Newsom in a dead heat but the Democratic machine buoyed by former President Barack Obama, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris rolled into California rallying support for Newsome and encouraging Democrats to vote no on the recall.
California will now remain firmly in Democrat control, as if that was in question, and will continue to plague Republicans on the national level as 2022 midterms and the 2024 presidential election loom large on the horizon.
Overnight, the Mississippi Democratic Party took to Twitter to congratulate Newsome sharing this tweet and quote from Newsome:
Governor Newsom will remain in office! “I am humbled & grateful to the millions, and millions of Californians who exercised their fundamental right to vote, and express themselves so overwhelmingly by rejecting the division,” Newsom said.
Governor Newsom will remain in office!
"I am humbled & grateful to the millions, and millions of Californians who exercised their fundamental right to vote, and express themselves so overwhelmingly by rejecting the division," Newsom said. pic.twitter.com/pRiLk6UTII
— MS Democratic Party (@msdemocrats) September 15, 2021
The Democratic Party in Mississippi remains little more than also-rans on the statewide level. As of the 2019 election cycle, all statewide elected officials are Republicans and Republicans control majorities on the state Transportation and Public Service Commissions. Republicans also hold supermajorities in both chambers of the Mississippi Legislature.
To date, Democrats are currently fielding candidates in all four Congressional Districts in 2022 but only one district conceivably is in play for Democrats, that being the Second District seat held by longtime Democratic Congressman Bennie Thompson.
Democrats challenging incumbent Republican Congressmen Trent Kelly and Michael Guest will more likely than not face defeat at the polls in November 2022.
A Democrat has also stepped forward in the Fourth Congressional District. That effort will likely face a similar result as in districts one and two.
Frank Corder
