Former acting Director of National Intelligence Ric Grenell said he will not run in the California recall election in a bid to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Grenell made his announcement Thursday during an interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News.
"I made the decision not to run," he said. "It’s mainly for two reasons. The first is, I want to continue to be available to push forward this America First agenda. It’s a very important agenda.
"And I think the first thing that needs to be done in California is a structural change. We need to be able to push forward this massive structural change in the state because we’re headed in the wrong direction. I think that’s going to take many years."
Politico noted that Grenell has promoted the recall campaign against Newsom and had been considering entering the race.
The outlet noted that polls have suggested voters are likely to reject the recall.
In May, a Public Policy Institute of California poll among likely voters statewide found 57% would vote "no" on recalling Newsom while only 40% would vote "yes."
The same poll showed a majority of California voters (54%) approve of his job performance as governor and a robust 64% approve of his handling of the COVID-19 crisis
Grenell has voiced concern that liberal policies are collapsing the state.
He told Newsmax in April: "They're talking about putting a homeless encampment on the beach...I mean, we live on the ocean, and we're told, don't water your lawn, and try to take quick showers. We have rolling blackouts every year. We have incredible wildfires that take over the state because we can't clean up the brush, and we don't allow [the] timber industry to come in and do so."
Politico noted that earlier this year, he launched a political organization, Fix California. The group is focused on voting and education.
The recall is scheduled for Sept. 14. Politico noted it consists of two parts: a question on whether Newsom should be recalled, and a choice of who should replace him.
Jeffrey Rodack ✉
Jeffrey Rodack, who has nearly a half century in news as a senior editor and city editor for national and local publications, has covered politics for Newsmax for nearly seven years.
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