41 candidates made the ballot for California's September recall election


There are 41 candidates who have met the qualifications to run in California's gubernatorial recall election, with the state releasing the list late Saturday night.
During the last recall election in 2003, when Gov. Gray Davis (D) was removed from office, 135 candidates were on the ballot. Most of the 2021 candidates hoping to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) are Republicans, with the most notable names including reality TV star Caitlyn Jenner, former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, businessman and 2018 GOP gubernatorial candidate John Cox, and state Board of Equalization member Ted Gaines.
Conservative radio talk show host Larry Elder announced on the air last week that he was running for governor, but his name was not on the list. He tweeted that he has submitted every document necessary, and "fully" expects to be on the final certified list of candidates that will be released on Wednesday. It's thought that Elder will be one of the more popular candidates, as his show has a following in Southern California, Politico reports.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
There are just eight Democrats in the running, including YouTuber Kevin Paffrath. In 2003, then-Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante (D) was a candidate, but this time around, there are no elected Democratic lawmakers on the ballot, largely because Newsom is polling much higher than Davis was at this point in the recall process.
The recall election, which is costing California taxpayers $276 million, was primarily pushed by conservatives who objected to Newsom's lockdown orders to curb the spread of the coronavirus. The election is set for Sept. 14, and ballots will be sent out on Aug. 16. Voters will have to answer two questions: Should Newsom be removed from office, and if so, which candidate should replace him?
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Leonard and Hungry Paul: ‘beautiful, heartfelt’ television
The Week Recommends Julia Roberts narrates this ‘charming’ and ‘unexpectedly profound’ adaptation of Rónán Hession’s novel
-
Inside The Peninsula, London’s first billion-pound hotel
The Week Recommends As the capital’s super-luxury hotel scene continues to expand, the respected brand is still setting the standard
-
AI is making houses more expensive
Under the radar Homebuying is also made trickier by AI-generated internet listings
-
Trump nominee in limbo after racist texts leak
Speed Read Paul Ingrassia lost Republican support following the exposure of past racist text messages
-
Trump begins East Wing demolition for ballroom
speed read The president’s new construction will cost $250 million
-
Appeals court clears Trump’s Portland troop deployment
Speed Read A divided federal appeals court ruled that President Trump can send the National Guard to Portland
-
Millions turn out for anti-Trump ‘No Kings’ rallies
Speed Read An estimated 7 million people participated, 2 million more than at the first ‘No Kings’ protest in June
-
DOJ indicts John Bolton over classified files
Speed Read Continuing the trend of going after his political enemies, Trump prosecutes his former national security adviser
-
Trump, Putin set summit as Zelenskyy lands in DC
Speed Read Trump and Putin have agreed to meet in Budapest soon to discuss ending the war in Ukraine
-
Courts deal setbacks to Trump’s Chicago operations
Speed Read President Donald Trump cannot deploy the National Guard in Illinois
-
Pentagon reporters turn in badges after refusing rules
Speed Read They refused to sign a restrictive new press policy imposed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth