Larry Elder surges past Gavin Newsom in Google searches

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Republican gubernatorial candidate Larry Elder surged past California Governor Gavin Newsom in Google searches as the race to recall the embattled Democrat governor intensifies.

Elder has surged past Newsom in Google search inquiries over the last two weeks, according to Google Trends, suggesting that Newsom’s most prominent Republican challenger for his job is growing in notoriety as Election Day approaches.

When broken down, the search data shows the top three related searches for Elder are "Larry Elder for governor," "Larry Elder running for governor," and "Larry Elder for governor website."

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Meanwhile, the top related searches for Newsom revolved around his highly-publicized French Laundry scandal, with "Gavin Newsom French Laundry" taking the top spot.

Following the French Laundry scandal search – where Newsom was spotted maskless at the high-end restaurant for a lobbyist friend’s birthday dinner amid California’s strict COVID-19 measures – are "Gavin Newsom Thanksgiving" and "Gavin Newsom dinner."

The incoming recall appears to have rattled Newsom, who recently snapped during an interview that everyone "outside this state is b----ing about this state."

"Guys, forgive me, I know I am a little pointed today but I've been taking a lot from you folks for a lot of months," Newsom said while waving his hand toward the reporters. "I should be able to express myself, too."

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Elder is the front-runner in the race to replace Newsom as California governor, which has seen the field of candidates grow to include other celebrities, such as former Olympian Caitlyn Jenner.

Newsom's campaign did not respond to Fox News’ request for comment.

Houston Keene is a reporter for Fox News Digital. You can find him on Twitter at @HoustonKeene.