California Gov. Gavin Newsom has added a lot of drama to his recent advertisements, which means he’s only getting more scared of next month’s gubernatorial recall election. Voters have been evenly split over whether or not they think Gavin Newsom should remain in office. They have until September 14th to decide.

Newsom talked about protecting California when it comes to surging COVID-19 cases and how GOP front-runner Larry Elder would repeal every vaccine mandate on his first day in office. He even shows a picture of Elder alongside former president Donald Trump. Next to it is a screenshot of an August 10 tweet where Elder claimed that if he were elected to replace Newsom, California would have no mask or vaccine mandates. While the two were unrelated, Newsom has tried to target Elder as a candidate who is “to the right” of Trump.

Newsom, however, said he would implement more vaccine requirements as the Delta Variant spreads. He has already implemented a vaccine mandate for healthcare workers, as well as teachers and school staff.

Newsom’s video ad warns voters that “when it comes to the COVID-19 vaccine, this recall election is a matter of life and death.” Democrats have gone from making elections about saving the planet to saving the human race. He emphasized in the video how he was “protecting California” while Elder was encouraging “deadly” conspiracy theories. He called Elder an “anti-vax conspiracy spreader who is not the guy you want in the office while Delta rages.”

Newsom slammed Elder’s decisions and said they would eliminate vaccine mandates on Day One, threaten school closures, and our recovery. At the end of the video, the ad encourages Californians to “stop the spread” and vote against removing Newsom from office.

Newsom recently defended President Joe Biden’s most recent disasters. The commander-in-chief is supposed to be traveling to California to campaign for Newsom and to help “energize voters.” When a reporter asked Newsom about the situation in Afghanistan, he brushed it off and said he was “incredibly proud” to have the president’s support and have him out there.

Recent polls have indicated Elder as the leading recall challenger against Newsom. On the recall ballot, 24 of the 46 candidates are listed as Republicans. If more than 50% of California cast their vote to remove Newsom for office, it would be the second recall election to take place in the state. The first resulted in the 2003 removal of Democrat Gray Davis.

Elder has fought back against Newsom and his attacks. He criticized the vaccine mandates that he said he would later reverse and shared in a statement that vaccines are a “matter of choice.” He said the constant attacks on his campaign just means they are doing something right and that Newsom is scared.

Elder’s campaign communications director Ying Ma said Newsom’s ad is correct and that this is a matter of life and death. She said the constant attacks on Larry Elder just reveals the Newsom Administration’s inability to defend his own record, as well as their fear that he’ll be kicked out of office very soon.

“Under Gavin Newsom’s watch, California has been plagued by crime, homelessness, the rising cost of living, uncontrollable wildfires, water shortages, and dictatorial COVID edicts. An entire historic city recently burned to the ground in the still-raging Dixie Fire, as the water was shut off to thousands of farmers across the state,” Ma said.

Ma also talked about Newsom’s inability to connect with Californians. The unions representing firefighters, front-line workers, and working-class men and women have opposed vaccine mandates but that he does not care. As long as they are all making money by the jab. Not to mention the high property taxes and leniency towards criminals. It has made it a nightmare for Californians, especially those in impoverished areas.

Newsom has also tried to push his “California Comeback” plan to solve the homelessness problem, with an estimated 41,000 homeless inside the city limits. The state has poured billions of dollars into social programs that have not worked. The lack of urgency at state and local levels has made the situation even worse. Some recall voters said that Newsom waited until a pandemic period and recall election to push homeless solutions that he clearly has no interest in.

Newsom’s most recent plan has not been well received by many. Some people called it an “excuse” for even more homeless to set up shop in the streets. But Newsom emphasized how proud he was of people coming from all around the world and looking at California as an opportunity. “All people should aspire to that California dream regardless of their income level and regarding their lot in life,” Newsom said.

Los Angeles Sheriff Alex Villanueva had problems with Newsom’s statement on people of all “income levels” coming to the state since the department is trying to keep their heads above water. He called it a “death wish” to invite the rest of the nation’s homeless to California and that the comments blew them away. Villanueva even said he supports the recall to remove Newsom from office as a private citizen.

It’s clear that most Californians have been ready to remove the governor for quite some time now. They’ll finally have their chance – whether it’s “life or death.”