Female voters could be the ones to keep Gavin Newsom 'afloat'

Should California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) survive Tuesday's recall election, he might "have women to thank," Politico reports Monday.

Sixty-six percent of female voters said they would vote to keep Newsom in office, while a "razor-thin majority" of men would vote to recall him, Politico writes, per a new poll. And the fact that California women are keeping the governor "afloat" cements "their status as a key voting bloc for Newsom and Democrats heading into the 2022 election cycle."

"However you look at the makeup of the electorate, it emphasizes the importance of women voters in Democratic causes," said Mark Baldassare, president of the Public Policy Institute of California. "I think that's why there's been a big emphasis in this election around the importance of women," he said.

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While campaigning, Newsom has urged female voters against a California run by Republican frontrunner Larry Elder, pointing to states like Texas and Florida "as cautionary tales" of what might happen if he loses. Those "what ifs" seem to be working, Politico notes.

"The idea that Larry Elder would be granted the ability to control decisions about women, whether it's about our bodies or our kids' mental health or schooling, it's unconscionable," said Ann O'Leary, Newsom's former chief of staff and former aide to Hillary Clinton. "I think women really get that."

Of course, not every woman will be voting alongside Newsom. But for many, the recall represents "a direct perceived threat," and the "striking gender divide" for and against Newsom just further illustrates how, in "deep blue California," women are "much more likely to vote Democrat than men." Read more at Politico.