Governor Gavin Newsom mainly focused on the coronavirus pandemic during his annual State of the State address on Tuesday night, which he delivered at a nearly empty Dodger Stadium. And in what sounded like a campaign kickoff, he briefly discussed the recall effort against him.
“He said that this is a fight for California's future. It's also a fight for his political future. This was a pivotal moment for Gavin Newsom as he faces down what looks increasingly to be a recall election this year,” says Carla Marinucci, Politico reporter covering California politics. “He had to get the message out to them, and so did it at Dodger Stadium, one of the busiest mass vaccination sites in the nation.”