California Recall Bid Organizers Cite Gains

The Washington Post ^ | 6/25/03 | Rene Sanchez

[LdSentinal]

LOS ANGELES, June 24 -- Organizers of a campaign to recall California Gov. Gray Davis (D) have turned in 376,000 voter petitions supporting their cause, state officials said today. That is far more signatures than were reported only a few weeks ago, but still far short of what is needed to force a special election.

To oust Davis, whose statewide popularity has plummeted in recent months, the recall movement first must collect nearly 900,000 valid voter signatures by Sept. 2. That would require California to hold an unprecedented election to decide the governor's political fate as early as the fall.

Leaders of the recall effort called the latest total a clear sign of the movement's momentum. Several hundred thousand more voter signatures already have been collected, they say, but were not sent to state officials in time to meet the most recent reporting deadline because the campaign had not yet verified their authenticity.

A month ago, 18,000 voter signatures in favor of recalling Davis had been reported.

"We're very confident we'll make it,'' said David Gilliard, who is managing a recall group called Rescue California. "There's so much voter anger out there. Every week we're seeing more of it."

[NEWwoman]

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