California Communist Party leader backs Newsom, urges 'no' vote on recall

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California Gov. Gavin Newsom is receiving support from one of the state's communist leaders, who said on Friday that residents should reject the ongoing recall effort in order to prevent one of former President Trump's "clones" governing the state.

"On the line is the protection of hard-won gains that Gov. Newsom expanded such as increased pay, paid sick leave and paid family leave, doubling the earned-income tax credit for low-income families, and expanding the right to form unions, including signing legislation to give childcare workers the right to organize," wrote Juan Lopez, chairman of the Communist Party in Northern California and statewide coordinator. 

Writing in People's World, he and writer Marilyn Bechtel urged progressive voters not to be complacent as Republicans lined up to replace Newsom.

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"The Republican far right is counting on California’s substantial Democratic voter majority and progressive-leaning independent voters to stay home, lulled by a false sense that there is no way a small Republican minority will unseat Newsom," they wrote.

The two derided GOP candidates as the former president's "clones" and said they stood for "everything that Trump favors and Gov. Newsom opposes." 

"Clearly, electing a far-right, pro-Trump Republican to rule the most populous state in the nation, and a beacon of progressive politics, is out of the question," they wrote in Friday's op-ed.

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GOP candidate Kevin Faulconer called on Newsom to reject the support. "There are countless individuals in CA and across the country whose families were forced to flee the evils of communist regimes. He should disavow their support immediately," Faulconer tweeted.

Newsom's office did not immediately respond to Fox News' request for comment.