Ron Nehring, a former chair of the California GOP and adviser to Faulconer, pointed to a page on Elder’s website that, prior to the election, presumed that Newsom won the recall because of an influx of voter fraud. It asked voters to sign a petition asking for a special session of the Legislature to investigate. Nehring said such a suggestion was “astonishing” and discouraged Republicans from voting…

“We can’t have an evidence-based party if we are bull—–ing people in advance that this election was stolen when it was not,” Nehring said Wednesday. “One way not to have Republicans win is by telling Republican voters that their votes don’t matter…. Lying to Republicans claiming an election was stolen, before a single vote or result had been published, is grossly irresponsible.”…

Nehring accused Elder of acting as a “life preserver” for Newsom’s campaign. Early polls showed support for the recall almost evenly split, but that changed with Elder’s entry to the race, Nehring argued, and Newsom was able to pull out a huge victory.

“The overwhelming majority of Californians were not happy with the alternative, if that alternative was Larry Elder,” Nehring said. “It is very unfortunate that a governor who has run out of ideas, Gavin Newsom, was provided a vector, was assisted in his effort to make someone else the issue.”