Gov. Gavin Newsom threatened with second recall attempt amid a heated election year

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is facing another organized recall attempt by a conservative political action group, after a similar multi-million-dollar campaign to oust the Democrat failed in 2021.

The group Rescue California, which was behind the last attempt, announced its intention Monday, which was first reported by Politico. They claim the governor is too focused on his national profile while recently released figures from the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office show a $73 billion state deficit. They also point the finger at California's ongoing homelessness crisis and accused him of weakening public safety laws.

"Governor Newsom has abandoned the state to advance his presidential ambitions, leaving behind a $68 billion budget deficit and a public safety, immigration and education crisis," the group alleges on its website promoting the petition.

California is one of more than a dozen states that allow the recall of state officials. Announcing an intent to recall an official is one thing, but making it to the ballot requires the petition garner signatures of 12% of the total number of those who voted in the last election for governor. That amounts to a little over 1.3 million needed signatures.

Newsom responded in a post on X, formerly called Twitter.

"Trump Republicans are launching another wasteful recall campaign to distract us from the existential fight for democracy and reproductive freedom," Newsom said in a post on X Monday. "We will defeat them."

Previous attempt to recall Newsom failed

Newsom handily beat the recall attempt two years ago against challenger and conservative talk radio personality Larry Elder, who drew comparisons to former President Donald Trump. The campaign to recall the governor largely centered on his COVID-19 policies and gathered steam from his controversial dinner at an upscale Napa Valley restaurant which violated his administration's stay-at-home policies to stem the outbreak's spread.

More: California Gov. Gavin Newsom easily fends off historic recall attempt

In a statewide Public Policy Institute of California survey released last week, approval ratings for Newsom dropped below 50%, the first time since the institute's November 2019 survey. Fewer than half of adults (47%) and likely voters (48%) approve of Newsom's job performance, according to the recent figures.

Four in 10 Californians name economic conditions and homelessness as top issues the governor and state legislature should work on this year.

Has a governor ever been recalled?

Only twice in U.S. history has a governor been removed from office in a recall: in North Dakota in 1921 and in California in 2003, when Gray Davis was removed and replaced by Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The petition by Rescue California has until May to collect enough signatures to qualify for the ballot.

Kathryn Palmer is the California 2024 Elections Fellow for USA TODAY. Reach her at kapalmer@gannett.com and follow her on X @KathrynPlmr.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: California Gov. Gavin Newsom faces a second recall attempt