Here's who's aiming to succeed Newsom in California's gubernatorial recall election

Here's a look at the leading contenders among the 46 gubernatorial replacement candidates on the ballot in the recall election of California Gov. Gavin Newsom

State election officials began mailing ballots to California’s 22 million registered voters in the middle of last month. While Democrats greatly outnumber Republicans in the heavily blue state of California, the latest public opinion polls suggesting that those likely to cast ballots in the contest are divided on whether to recall the governor. Newsom and his allies acknowledge that they need a strong turnout to counter Republican voters motivated to cast ballots in hopes of ousting the governor. Voters are being asked two questions on the recall ballot. The first question is whether the governor should be removed from office. If more than 50% support removing Newsom, the second question offers a list of candidates running to replace the governor. If the governor is recalled, the candidate who wins the most votes on the second question – regardless of whether it’s a majority or just a small plurality – would succeed Newsom in steering California.