State Senator Jeff Denham and his supporters are pounding the pavement and keeping campaign signs posted, asking his constituents to vote no on the recall.
Denham: "We're out working hard, walking precincts, going neighbor to neighbor, door to door, making sure people know they need to show up and vote June 3rd."
Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata launched the recall effort last summer when Denham refused to vote on the budget because he wanted to see more cuts to avoid a deficit.
Then on May 7th of this year, Perata announced he was ending the recall campaign to focus on solving the state's problems. He released a statement that says quote, "this is my call and my best judgment about how to stop the long, slow slide into another long stalemate." But by that time it was too late to take the recall off the ballot.
Denham: "It's certainly very frustrating. He's used a tactic that's politics at its worst. He's kind of washed his hands of this and walked away."
A spokesperson for the former recall campaign did not want to comment except to say the effort ended weeks ago and any money donated to the campaign since then was only used to pay off old bills. But now Denham's fate is in the hands of voters.
Ann Faust, Merced: "Everyone I know is going to vote for him and say no on the recall. That was a foolish, foolish, thing."
Margie Briggs, Merced: "If he could still be recalled then maybe that's what the majority wants."
And a simple majority is all it takes.
Stephen Jones, Merced Co. Registrar of Voters: "It takes 50 percent to effect the recall."
That's why Denham is hoping his supporters won't assume he's safe.
Denham: "Vote no on the recall is what I would ask but certainly we want to have as many people get out and vote as possible."
