By R.J. Johnson - @rickerthewriter Apr 29, 2021 Last week, supporters of a campaign to recall California Gov. Gavin Newsom celebrated the news that enough valid signatures had been gathered to force a special election later this year (most likely in November). According to Secretary of State Shirley Weber 1,626,042 signatures have been validated, far more than the required total of 1,495,709 signatures. The recall campaign needed at least 12% of the 12,464,235 votes that were cast in the 2018 gubernatorial election. This isn't the first time California residents have been down this road. In 2003, Gov. Gray Davis, faced a recall election after residents became upset about an electricity crisis as well as an unpopular car tax. The recall was ultimately successful and Davis became the first California governor (and only the second governor in history), to be removed from office.