SAN DIEGO (CNS) - San Diego businessman and Republican gubernatorial hopeful John Cox visited San Diego on his third statewide bus tour Friday, presenting a plan to cut income taxes by 25% across the board.
Cox was literal about the board, bringing a Monopoly-themed "Gavinopoly" game board "designed to highlight the high taxes and wasteful spending in Gov. Gavin Newsom's California," a statement from Cox's campaign read.
"This state is unaffordable and unlivable by most of the people of this state," said Cox, who lost to Newsom in the governor's race in 2018. "Unless you are in the top 1%, you are being crushed into poverty with the highest housing prices in the country, the highest gasoline prices in the country, the highest electricity costs in the country, the highest water costs in the country and of course, the highest taxes."
He is calling for a 25% income tax reduction, which he says would be the largest tax cut in state history. The millionaire said the impact on the middle class -- which he defines as the tax bracket of households making between $56,086 and $286,492 -- has been detrimental to the state's residents. Income in that bracket is taxed at 9.3%.
Cox also said he was "coming after" sales taxes as well.
The recall election is scheduled for Sept. 14, and could be closer than initially anticipated. A recall ballot in California consists of two questions: whether the incumbent should be recalled, and if recalled, which challenger should replace him. If a majority of voters favor removing the incumbent by selecting "yes" on the first question, then the challenger who receives the most votes finishes out the incumbent's term in office.
According to Newsom's 2022 campaign website, the recall is backed by "a partisan, Republican coalition of national Republicans, anti-vaxxers, Q- Anon conspiracy theorists and anti-immigrant Trump supporters."
The only other gubernatorial recall attempt in California that qualified for a general vote happened in 2003, which resulted in then-Gov. Gray Davis being replaced by Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Kevin Faulconer, former mayor of San Diego, is also running to unseat Newsom, along with former Olympian/reality TV personality Caitlyn Jenner and conservative talk show host/author Larry Elder.
The race has gained more national prominence in recent weeks as the question has arisen of possibly replacing 88-year-old Sen. Dianne Feinstein if she is unable to complete her term. If Newsom were to be recalled and Feinstein were to be replaced by a Republican-nominated senator, it could shift the balance of power in the U.S. Senate back to Republican control, and install Sen. Mitch McConnell again as Senate Majority Leader.
For her part, Feinstein, is not publicly concerned.
When asked by CNN if she would consider resigning in the period between a Newsom loss and before a GOP governor could be sworn in, Feinstein replied, "Why would I?" She said, "It doesn't affect me -- the recall is just against him."
Every active registered voter in San Diego County will receive a ballot in the mail for the upcoming gubernatorial recall election. Mail ballots start going out next week. If your information is up to date, you can expect your ballot in your mailbox that same week.
Voters will have the option to return their ballot by mail or at one of many mail ballot drop-off locations around the county. In-person voting locations will be open across the county for four days, Sept. 11-14.
More voting information can be found online here.
