Newsom Loses Court Hearing, Will Not Have Party Preference On Recall Ballot Monday, July 12, 2021 | Sacramento, CA In this Jan. 8, 2021, file photo, California Gov. Gavin Newsom gestures during a news conference in Sacramento, Calif. Rich Pedroncelli / AP Photo Gov. Gavin Newsom will not be listed as a Democrat on the ballot when California voters decide whether to recall him. Newsom missed the deadline by more than a year to state his party preference on the ballot. His elections lawyer noticed the mistake last month and asked the Secretary of State Shirley Weber to allow a fix, but she declined. The governor took the issue to court; his team argued it was an honest mistake and that voters would be served by having more information available on the ballot.