SAN FRANCISCO – California Gov. Gavin Newsom and his supporters emphasized the policies he has enacted to help undocumented immigrants on Tuesday at a campaign stop in San Francisco’s Mission District, part of a push to turn out Latino voters in the final week before Election Day.
When Newsom arrived at the blocked-off street in the Mission where volunteers had gathered for a phone banking event, supporters crowded around the governor, eager to get photos with him.
Addressing the crowd of volunteers, he and other Democratic elected officials, including San Francisco Mayor London Breed and Assemblyman David Chiu, encouraged them to talk to their friends and neighbors and urge them to vote “no” in the recall election.
They pointed to Newsom’s efforts to get more vaccines to that part of the city, as well as the funding he’s allocated in the budget to provide student loans and health care coverage for undocumented immigrants. Newsom contrasted that with anti-undocumented immigrant comments from recall supporters.
The Democratic governor repeated one of his most-used campaign talking points, noting that lead recall proponent Orrin Heatlie once suggested microchipping immigrants.
“Pendejo!” one woman wearing a “Stop the Republican Recall” mask called out after Newsom described Heatlie, using a Spanish word for idiot that made the crowd laugh.
Newsom’s support among Latinos has shown signs of slipping. Latinos represent the largest ethnic group in California, and Newsom needs their support to survive the recall.
At the campaign stop, Newsom bashed Larry Elder, the top-polling replacement candidate running in the recall election.
Elder has also been making a push to appeal to the Latino community, hosting a media call last week featuring former Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado, a Republican, and former state lawmaker Gloria Romero, a Democrat, who say Elder would help Latinos if elected.
But Newsom argued the opposite Tuesday, pointing to Elder’s opposition to policies that would help undocumented immigrants.
“To the Latino community, I hope you pay really close attention to this, he is offended by our health care expansion, regardless of your pre-existing conditions, your ability to pay or your immigration status,” Newsom said. “Offended by our support for undocumented workers.”
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Newsom’s approval of rental assistance money and backing of San Francisco’s designation as a sanctuary city for undocumented immigrants are examples of his support for the community, said Tracy Gallardo of the Latino Task Force, a group that has organized aid for San Francisco’s Latino community during the pandemic.
“We must get out and vote. Put it on your Facebook, put it on your social media. Let everybody know this hurts Latinos,” she said of the recall effort. “Thank you again, governor, for all the support for the Latino community. We stand behind you.”
Wing Luk attended the event with SEIU Local 87, a union representing janitors where Luk works helping Chinese janitors with translation and filing grievances with their employers. About 80 members of the union attended the event Tuesday, he said.
“Gavin Newsom has been supportive to our union for a long time,” Luk said. Luk said Newsom’s mask mandates have helped keep janitors safe, and that Elder’s promise to remove mask mandates would put those workers at risk.
Raul Hernandez shook Newsom’s hand as the governor weaved through the crowd and thanked him for supporting the Latino community.
Hernandez lives in the Mission and said he doesn’t want a Republican to become governor. He said he supports Newsom’s mask mandates and that he doesn’t think a Republican would follow the science on COVID-19.
“To me he’s done a good job with what’s happened… to me it’s important he stays in office,” Hernandez said after the governor had finished addressing the crowd. “He’s an approachable person. He doesn’t look down at you, he looks at you.”
