New to recall debate stage, Democrat Paffrath blasts rivals

By KATHLEEN RONAYNE
Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Democrat Kevin Paffrath used his first appearance on a recall debate stage to pitch himself as the best alternative should voters remove California Gov. Gavin Newsom from office. Paffrath appeared Wednesday alongside Republicans Kevin Faulconer, Kevin Kiley and John Cox. The 29-year-old YouTube creator has never held elected office. That’s prompting criticism from Faulconer, the former San Diego mayor. He says it’s not the time for on-the-job training. But Paffrath says his Republican rivals and Newsom lack bold solutions needed to tackle California’s problems. All voters have received ballots in the mail and Sept. 14 is the last day to vote.