CA Governor Won’t Give Up Lockdown Policies Because Of “Inequity,” Democrats Exploit COVID For Power. Democrat governor Gavin Newsom says there will be no return to normal because normal means inequity. Republican states have been lifting lockdowns, putting an end to COVID restrictions deemed widely unpopular across the country. For this many leftists have heavily criticized Republican governors for their actions. But using social justice as an excuse to maintain COVID emergency powers reeks of authoritarianism.