Gov. Newsom hits the campaign trail – for other candidates
SAN FRANCISCO -- With less than three days before the general election, Democrats are worried about a "red wave" sweeping Republican candidates into office across the country.
Instead of campaigning for his own gubernatorial seat, Governor Gavin Newsom volunteered at a phone bank event at Manny's in San Francisco Saturday morning. He texted registered voters in Southern California to vote for a Democratic candidate running for a house seat.
"I was in Sacramento this morning. I'll be down in L.A. later this afternoon. Orange County, back through the Central Valley," the governor said.
He has also been campaigning outside the state for other candidates to help Democrats retain both the House and Senate.
"You look at all these Senate races in particular, they're all within the margin of error. Seven or eight of them could tip in one direction or the other," Newsom said.
Political experts expect Newsom to win a second term as California's governor by a large margin. That was why he had focused his efforts on national politics.
"We have to go on the offense, stop being on the defense," the governor said.
He said the Democratic Party has failed in its messaging to voters.
"You asked me about effective communication. You asked me about effective messaging. Win or lose next week, I hope we take a good hard look at what we're up against and how we can calibrate to the world around us," Newsom said.
Along with the governor, California state assemblyman Matt Haney and San Francisco supervisor Rafael Mandelman also took time away from their own races to volunteer at the phone bank.
"This is a blue state and so California should be able to come out and stop that red wave right here and, if we do that, we can make sure that Democrats continue to hold the House of Representatives," Haney said.
"I definitely don't want to see Kevin McCarthy becoming speaker of the House of Representatives so we've got to try to do everything we can between now and Tuesday," Mandelman said.
Manny Yekutiel, the owner of Manny's, left the event to catch a flight to Palm Springs to knock on doors for a candidate.
"My main concern right now is turnout. I think if Democrats and independent voters turn out, we will win and there will not be a red wave," Yekutiel said.