Most elected officials can be recalled in the US, but the laws are different in every state. California has a pretty low bar for establishing a recall election of the Governor. Basically, the Republicans played off the frustrations of people who had to endure a fairly strict covid lockdown in California and were able to gather enough signatures to get a recall election. It is not the first time that there has been a recall election in California, and in fact that is how Schwarzenegger got elected. But this recall was doomed to fail and a complete waste of resources and time.
EXPLAINER: How California could recall Gov. Gavin Newsom