There’s a simple explanation for a CNN clip that shows California recall votes disappearing from a live ticker. An employee at the polling firm that provides election data to CNN made an error that was solved within two minutes. Get the facts from @AP. https://t.co/vCyZ6Mouif

— AP Fact Check (@APFactCheck) September 15, 2021

California Gov. Gavin Newsom ably fended off a recall attempt from Republicans on Tuesday, changing the stakes of the contest from a referendum on his own performance and into a partisan fight over Trumpism and the coronavirus.

Five takeaways from Newsom’s victory:

COVID PRECAUTIONS CAN HELP DEMOCRATS

Republicans intended the recall to be a referendum on Democrats’ rule of California, and the homelessness, crime, high housing costs and energy problems that accompanied it. But in a bit of political maneuvering — and with the help of the spreading delta variant — Newsom turned it into a referendum on Republicans’ opposition to precautions against the coronavirus.

Great, now we're going to have to hear Republicans pointing to this as proof of fraud for the next 12 months or longer.

— James Contract (@ContractJames) September 15, 2021