Gavin Newsom’s political fate in balance as polls close in California recall

Early returns indicate a strong showing from Democratic voters in the closely watched race with national ramifications

• Who's who: the 46 challengers running against Gavin Newsom

Gavin Newsom's political fate hung in the balance as polls closed on Tuesday night in a recall election to determine whether the California governor will retain his office, a closely watched race with national reverberations.

As only the second gubernatorial recall effort in California's history to make it on to the ballot, the election represented a rare chance for Republicans to seize control in a deep blue state.