Many elected officials and community activists gathered this Tuesday, September 7th, for a press conference in front of the main Oxnard Public Library to tell the community to vote “NO” on the recall for Governor Gavin Newsom.
Congresswoman Julia Brownley, Mayor of Oxnard City John Zaragoza, former Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson, District 5 Supervisor Carmen Ramirez, and District 1 Supervisor Matt LaVere, were among the many in attendance.
Brownley says that the community must make every effort to get out and vote “NO” on the recall.
“These are extraordinary times, and these times call for extraordinary leadership,” Brownley said. “During one of the biggest challenges ever to face the state, Governor Newsom has shown that extraordinary leadership.”
A crowd of people from the county stood outside of the library holding signs that said, “Stop the Republican Recall.”
Brownley also said that Newsom has fought for the health of every Californian using science to figure out the best strategies.
“Gavin is working to build back better by investing in smart forward-thinking infrastructure,” Brownley said. “And at a time when a woman’s right to choose is under constant attack supported by a supreme court hell-bent on overturning Roe v. Wade, we can trust Gavin to fight the erosion of women’s rights tooth and nail.”
Ramirez says that she and other elected officials are telling the community that it is important to vote no on the recall.
“This is not right because the governor won by a landslide a few years back. It is not right to try and remove him – it’s cheating. He has done so much for the Latino community,” Ramirez said to VIDA Newspaper.
Zaragoza joined the conference not on behalf of the city council, but on his own behalf he said. “Governor Newsom has worked on affordable housing to end homelessness, to help farmworkers with rent and other income assistance, to provide education for children,” Zaragoza said. “He serves under science, compassion, and common sense.”
Brownley says that if the republican party were to take a hold of the state’s office, it would put California back by decades, and would turn back on a woman’s right to choose.
“The republican party’s rightward shift toward the despicable, self-serving, anti-American, cult-like subservience to Donald trump cannot take a foothold in the governor’s office of our great state of California,” Brownley said.
Jackson previously worked alongside Newsom up until the end of November last year and says that he has been an enormous friend to the Latino community. She also says that republicans have used immigrant bashing to build their foundation on this recall.
“They didn’t like this governor because he was too friendly with the state’s immigrants, with the Latino community.” Jackson said.
She also mentioned that Newsom appointed the first Latino in the state of California to become a United States Senator – Alex Padilla.
The last day to vote yes or no on the recall is Tuesday, September 14.