One Day After Resounding Recall Win, Newsom Says Leaders ’Shouldn’t Be Timid’ On COVID Prevention Measures

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Wednesday that Democrats should take an even more aggressive approach in fighting the coronavirus pandemic, pointing to his recent recall election win as evidence that such a strategy was popular.

“We need to stiffen our spines and lean in to keeping people safe and healthy,” Newsom told CBS News in an interview. “We shouldn’t be timid in trying to protect people’s lives and mitigate the spread and transmission of this disease.”

“At the end of the day,” Newsom added, “it’s not just about formal authority of setting the tone and tenor on masks — on vaccines and masks. But it’s the moral authority that we have: that we’re on the right side of history and we’re doing the right thing to save people’s lives.”

Newsom just days ago cruised to victory against a Republican-led recall election, with approximately two-thirds of California voters opting to keep him in office as of Thursday morning with 75% of the results tabulated. (RELATED: Biden: Newsom Win Is Great For ‘Strong Vaccine Requirements’)

President Joe Biden campaigns Monday for Newsom in Long Beach, California. (David McNew/Getty Images)

Though Newsom was favored to win in deep-blue California, his nearly 30-point victory is far higher than most recent polls, and is an exponentially bigger margin than the 0.2% spread polls showed just over a month ago.

President Joe Biden campaigned alongside Newsom in California Monday, days after he announced a sweeping push to vaccinate employees of larger companies and federal and health care workers.

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