Based on the results of the 2020 US Census, California will be losing a seat in the House of Representatives, going down from 53 to 52 seats, for the first time in the state’s history. This loss of a House seat is another sign of what red state conservatives have called the California exodus, or the mass migration of Californians out of the state.

Newsom and his allies have cast the recall as a blatant partisan power grab by California Republicans, while the recall’s proponents claim their campaign is simply a reaction against Newsom’s failures as governor amid the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic crisis. While some voters may have legitimate criticisms of the Newsom administration, the origins and conduct of the recall campaign thus far indicate that the effort is more a partisan ploy than a legitimate use of recall power.