‘Stay tuned’: Elder hints at rematch against Newsom as he concedes California recall - The Guardian

Republican talk radio host tells supporters to ‘stay tuned’ after governor handily defeats historic recall effort.

Governor Gavin Newsom handily defeated a historic recall effort, with results on Tuesday night showing residents of the Golden state opposing the effort to remove him from office in greater numbers than some experts initially expected.

But his main opponent, the contrarian libertarian talkshow host Larry Elder, suggested he considered the fight far from over.

Tuesday’s incomplete election results had Elder far ahead among the 46 candidates who had hoped to replace Newsom if the recall succeeded.

Elder emerged as the unlikely frontrunner in the Republican race to unseat Newsom and could have become the state’s first Black governor.

Appearing to address his critics, Elder added: “All they want is Black people to think about is oppression, that you are under siege, that you are a victim.

And taking cues from the former president, Elder sowed mistrust in the recall election system in the final weeks of the race, especially as he appeared to slip in the polls.

He claimed “shenanigans” could skew the results of the race, and his campaign website linked to a “Stop CA Fraud” site where people could sign a petition demanding a special legislative session to investigate the “twisted results” – days before any results were announced.

Speaking at a rally with Newsom in Long Beach on Monday, Joe Biden had warned that the outcome of the recall race could reverberate far outside of the Golden state