Newsom Talks 'Brighter Days' In CA Address As Recall Threat Looms

CALIFORNIA — Instead of offering an address charged with policy proposals, Gov. Gavin Newsom took audiences on a tour through a tumultuous year in California during his third State of the State address. He discussed the 12 months that he says exposed some of the state's darkest inequities and saw 54,395 Californians die from coronavirus.

"One year ago today, we brought to shore the Grand Princess, which was stranded off the coast of California, further opening our eyes to the seriousness of this disease," he said.

Without mention of an almost certain recall election ahead of him, Newsom delivered a succinct speech that likely marked the beginning of his 2022 political campaign.

The 2021 address was held at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, diverging from the event's typical home at the state Capitol, given before the Legislature. The unusual address, in an unusual year, was moved to an evening prime time slot, likely to reach more of the Californians who will eventually vote for or against him.

"You know, Dr. King once said 'only when it's dark enough, can you see the stars,'" Newsom said. "So tonight under the lights of this stadium, even as we grieve, let's allow ourselves to dream of brighter days ahead."

The 56,000 unoccupied seats in Dodger Stadium that served as a backdrop behind him weren't a terribly atypical sight to see during a pandemic. But they did stand to mark a silent tribute to Californians who died from coronavirus over the last year.

"We're not going to go back to normal," Newsom said. "I think we all agree normal was never good enough. Normal accepts inequity."

While the overarching theme of Newsom's speech was always going to be the pandemic, the Democratic governor zeroed in on the wealth and racial inequities he says the past year has exacerbated.

"It's why Latinos are dying from COVID at a higher rate than any other racial or ethnic group, and why essential workers' wages aren't enough for them to afford the essentials, and why mothers, mothers have been leaving the workforce in staggering numbers, Newsom said. "...our journey back must also be a path to close those inequities."

Although there was no mention of last November's French Laundry fiasco, Newsom did hint at some of his personal mistakes — ones that others would say marred his political standing.

He noted that the progression of the vaccine rollout in California "hasn't always felt fast enough," and digressed, "look we've made mistakes — I have made mistakes. But we own them.

"After all, that's the California spirit," he continued. "We're bent, but not broken, bloodied, but unbowed — resolved to make brighter days ahead, and not to let the pain of last year to deter us from the hopefulness of tomorrow."

In one of the more vulnerable moments of his governance, Newsom offered the stories of a year forever marked in history by a pandemic and catastrophic wildfires rather than the typical menu of policy proposals.

"In 2020, we simultaneously faced two once-in-a-generation crises when we combated the worst wildfire season in our state’s history in the middle of the pandemic," he said.

Newsom spoke between two large screens that showcased the insides of classrooms with masked students and the faces of various frontline workers.

"Instead of fans in the stands, we see nurses and PPE, saving lives one injection at a time, all because a year ago, a once-in-a-century pandemic arrived on our shores," he said.

The coronavirus restrictions Newsom put in place were burdensome and "made life unpredictable for everyone," he acknowledged. But ultimately, he maintained that it was for the best.

"We made sure that science, not politics, drove our decisions," he said. "People are alive today because of the public health decisions we made — lives saved because of your sacrifice."

The address came as the final signatures are being collected for an effort to recall Newsom. Supporters for the recall say they have collected more than 1.9 million signatures, though many of those are under review and must be verified by election officials.

Organizers for the campaign have until March 17 to get the 1,459,709 million signatures needed to put the effort on the ballot and trigger a recall election. Two possible challengers, Kevin Faulconer, the former Republican mayor of San Diego, and Republican businessman John Cox, who was defeated by Newsom in 2018, have announced their candidacy for Newsom's seat.

In perhaps a subtle nod to the recall campaign, Newsom decried "naysayers."

"And I just want you to know, we're not going to change course, just because of a few naysayers and doomsayers," he said. "The California critics out there who are promoting partisan political power grabs with outdated prejudices and rejecting everything that makes California truly great, we say this: we will not be distracted from getting shots in arms and our economy booming again."

The recall effort technically kicked off before the pandemic severely affected Californians, but supporters have said that Newsom's response to the pandemic has been misguided.

"Tonight was nothing more than political theater,” said Randy Economy, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Economy, who's a spokesperson for the recall campaign, said Newsom's speech was "about him promoting himself. It was him going to Hollywood and being a big star."

Ultimately, Newsom urged Californians to look beyond the pandemic that effectively upended the lives of nearly every resident.

"This is our moment to create the California we all want to live in; to extend the dream of prosperity, equity and progress to all and to continue to lead the world into the future once more."