California Republican taking on Gov. Newsom: People 'united by frustration' with pandemic lockdowns

close

Video

Major Williams to challenge California Gov. Newsom in 2022

The Republican candidate explains his platform and why he’s taking on the current governor.

Republican candidate for California Governor Major Williams slammed Governor Gavin Newsom for continuing to lock down the state on Wednesday, claiming that his actions are a result of "poor leadership" and "mismanagement."

During an appearance on "Fox and Friends," Williams asserted that the failure of small businesses, the continuing lockdown of schools as well as the rise of homelessness and crime are due to Newsom’s coronavirus response.

CALIFORNIA GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM, FACING GOP-LED RECALL, CRITICIZED BY DEMOCRATS OVER COVID-19 RESPONSE

"[Newsom] said he’s going by the science but he really isn’t," Williams told Steve Doocy. "It’s hurtful to all Californians."

Williams added that during the pandemic, people are "unified by frustration" and that his "inclusive" campaign will not just be his campaign, but the people’s campaign.

Video

The California Republican candidate concluded that if elected Governor, small businesses would be open with proper safety precautions in place and that he represented an "alternative" for the people of California.

California Republicans have said that they have collected 1.3 of the 1.5 million signatures needed by March to initiate their recall of Newsom.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Many politicians have expressed interest in running against Newsom should the recall gather the signatures needed, including the former Mayor of San Diego, Kevin Falconer.

A new Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies survey of over 10,000 registered voters in California found that 46 percent approved of Newsom’s job performance – a sharp decline from the 64 percent approval rating he held last September.

Newsom's handling of the coronavirus appears to be at the core of his approval troubles, with less than a third of respondents saying the governor has done an "excellent" job tackling the pandemic, down from the 49 percent approval he had from pollsters last year.

Fox News’ Caitlin McFall contributed to this report