Larry Elder entered Newsom recall race a month ago and is now the frontrunner

Conservative radio host Larry Elderleads the polls in the California election among candidates hoping to replace Governor Gavin Newsom. Born and raised in LA, Elder has been on the air for more than 30 years. He entered the race about a month ago, but because of his celebrity, he’s already raised more money than most of his competitors, particularly with donors who gave less than $100. But his long media career is littered with troubling statements that degrade women, question climate change, and downplay COVID-19.

Newsom addressed Elder’s history this week: “The leading candidate in this effort calls climate change a crock, calls climate change a myth, wants the minimum wage to be zero dollars, is going to take us off a COVID cliff by eliminating masking in our public schools.”

The brief comment is one of the few direct references to his opponents ahead of the vote next month.