Recalled former state Sen. Josh Newman running to retake seat in 2020

Eight months after being recalled from a Southern California state senate seat, Fullerton Democrat Josh Newman says he’ll run to retake the district in 2020.

Newman, who was elected to represent the 29th state senate district in 2016, was recalled by voters in June – only 17 months into his first four-year term – after he was targeted by a state Republican effort to break Democrats’ legislative supermajority in Sacramento.

“You hired me once as your State Senator – I’d be honored to have the opportunity to serve you once again,” said Newman, a U.S. Army veteran and nonprofit founder, in a prepared statement announcing his campaign.

The 29th state senate district spans Orange, Los Angeles, and San Bernardino counties.

In 2017, Newman was one of 81 legislators to vote to increase the state gas tax by 12 cents per gallon to fund $5.4 billion in annual road improvement and transit projects. But Republicans, viewing Newman as vulnerable, laid blame for the tax hike squarely at his feet and fought to recall him. That prompted Democrats to accuse the GOP was sullying the democratic process.

Newman was recalled handily by 58 percent of voters in a low turnout mid-term primary election, making him the first California state legislator to be recalled in 23 years. Only 37 percent of registered voters cast ballots in the election – half the portion that turned out to elect Newman in 2016.

District voters elected Republican Ling Ling Chang as Newman’s replacement, selecting the very candidate Newman had defeated in 2016 by only 2,498 votes. Newman’s entrance into the 2020 contest sets up a likely rematch between the two former opponents.

Newman’s recall temporarily caused Democrats to lose the two-thirds legislative supermajority needed to raise taxes, but the party regained it during November’s general election, even without Newman’s former seat.

Newman’s recall also was seen as a prelude to Republicans’ fight to repeal the gas tax. But a statewide initiative to do so failed in November, gaining only 43 percent of the vote.

Democrats now have a 4.3 percentage point voter registration advantage in the 29th state senate district – more than double the lead they had when Newman was elected.