Democrat who led California Senate endorses Gavin Newsom's opponent Larry Elder in recall election

Gloria Romero, who was the former Democratic majority leader for the California Senate from 2001 to 2008, is endorsing Larry Elder in the race to recall Gov. Gavin Newson, Fox News reports.

"Our public schools need big change. I'm Gloria Romero; I was the majority leader of Democrats in the state senate. I believe in charter schools and and school choice. So does Larry Elder — but not Gavin Newsom. He shut our public schools while he sent his kids to private schools," Romero says in a video released by the Elder campaign.

"Yes: I'm a Democrat. But the recall of Newsom is not about political party. It's about Newsom. Larry Elder for governor," she adds.

According to Fox News, California's election to recall Newsom comes in the wake of criticisms of his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, including a well-known incident last November when he was spotted dining in an upscale restaurant without a mask with multiple people from outside his household.

"He was sitting with the very same lobbyists and medical professionals who drafted the mandates they were violating by not wearing masks and by not socially distancing," Elder said in July of Newsom's dinner, calling it "hypocrisy."

Elder, who is a conservative radio host, favors repealing mask and vaccine mandates in the state.

"This man that I'm going to defeat on September 14, he shut down the state in the most severe way than any of the other 49 governors have," Elder told an audience earlier this month. "When I get elected, assuming there are still facemask mandates and vaccine mandates, they will be repealed right away and then I'll break for breakfast."

Newsom has also faced criticism for misleading the public about the state's wildfire prevention efforts.