(USA Features) Conservative author and talk show host Larry Elder conceded defeat to California Gov. Gavin Newsom after failing to unseat the Democrat during a recall election on Tuesday.
But in defeat, Elder offered a message of encouragement to his supporters as he asked the to be “gracious.”
“We may have lost the battle, but we are going to win the war,” Elder told supporters while asking them to be “gracious in defeat” and noting that his campaign did at least manage to draw attention to critical issues in the state including school choice.
“As of Wednesday morning, the ‘no’ vote led the ‘yes’ vote by nearly two-to-one (64.2.% to 35.8%), a stunning result given that several polls of likely California voters in late July showed Newsom within the margin of error or even losing,” Breitbart News said in a report.
“Newsom and his Democratic allies spent a fortune to beat back the recall. They did so not by running a campaign on the governor’s accomplishments, but by scaring Democratic voters about the prospect of ‘Trumpism’ in the Golden State,” the outlet continued.
“Aside from touting Newsom’s recent vaccine mandates, which are popular with the Democratic base, the anti-recall effort was entirely negative — and devoted particular zeal to demonizing Elder, who was demonized by the establishment media,” Breitbart added.
Nevertheless, Elder’s candidacy appears to have been impactful to a degree.
“Incomplete election results had Elder far ahead among the 46 candidates who had hoped to replace Newsom if the recall succeeded,” The Associated Press reported.
“Newsom will face reelection next year, and there has been speculation Elder could be in the running again. Elder referred to himself as a ‘former radio host,’ suggesting his career was headed in a new direction,” the newswire continued.
“Last week, Elder conspicuously didn’t answer directly when asked if he would consider a 2022 rematch against Newsom, who already has said he plans to seek a second term,” the AP added.
Elder would have become the state’s first black governor, but his message often did not resonate with other black Californians, including his pushback on “systemic racism.”
“We know what the real problems are, and they have nothing whatever to do with racism,” he said during his campaign.
During his concession speech, Elder spent a lot of time ripping on Newsom who has presided over rising crime and poverty rates, skyrocketing housing prices, and rampant homelessness.
“This is what we’re facing: rising crime, declining quality of our public schools,” he said. “Rolling brownouts. Water shortages. … I can’t think of anything that this man has done in the last two years that suggests he deserves another day in office.”
He went on to argue that his campaign resulting in pressuring California Democrats to change direction.
“We are forcing them now to pay attention to the problem of homelessness. We are forcing them now to do a better job on schools,” Elder said.
Newsom, during the campaign, focused on how Elder’s views are not in line with most left-leaning Californians, but Elder rejected that during his concession speech.
“I’m a uniter,” he said. “We are going to bring this country together.”