California voters learned the fate of a months-long effort to remove Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom from office on Tuesday.
The race has been called and he will remain governor, despite more votes still needing to be counted.
"Thank you for rejecting this recall," Newsom said.
On the heels of declaring victory, Governor Newsom took to his social media first thing on Wednesday saying, "It's a good day to be a Californian."
"I think a lot of Californians are able to just take a breather kind of thing today," said Rita Casaverde, San Luis Obispo County Democratic Party Chair.
"It's not a good day," said Randall Jordan, San Luis Obispo County Republican Party Chairman. "It's a very sad day for California."
Conservative talk radio host and replacement candidate, Larry Elder, received the most votes of the 46 running.
"We have lost the battle but we are going to win the war," Elder said Tuesday night.
"Some are arguing that his strong showing among Republican voters makes him a contender for the next governor's race," said Michael Latner, Cal Poly Professor of Political Science.
This race was set against the backdrop of record wildfires, the COVID-19 pandemic, growing homelessness, and rising violent crime.
"The governor has been doing a really good job," Casaverde said. "He's been protecting women's rights, immigrant's rights, has been expanding access to healthcare."
"He's been a nightmare. Just a wreck. A complete wreck," Jordan said. "There's shortages and price increases and it all is tied back to the uncertainty with this state. This state does not have a clear plan to move forward."
But one year ahead of a scheduled gubernatorial election, Californians gave Newsom another shot.
"If this would have been a relatively close election, even if he didn't lose, it might have been the end of his political career," Latner said.
"There was a lot of strategy and things against us but mostly disappointment. We're very disappointed that it didn't turn out and we didn't recall him," Jordan said.
"Californians are in a much better place with a governor like Gavin Newsom," Casaverde said.
Newsom is now the second governor in U.S. history to survive a recall election.
The recall election cost nearly $300 million.
