Washington (CNN) California Gov. Gavin Newsom has enlisted Sen. Bernie Sanders in his fight to remain in office, with the progressive icon urging voters to reject a "bold-faced Republican power grab" in a new recall ad.

The spot released on Monday by Stop the Republican Recall, a countereffort launched by Newsom's team, features the Vermont independent asking voters to support the Democratic governor in the recall effort and making a thinly veiled attack on conservative talk show radio host Larry Elder, who poses a serious threat to Newsom's tenure.

"At this unprecedented moment in American history, when we're trying to address the crisis of climate change, guarantee health care for all and pass real immigration reform, the last thing we need is to have some right-wing Republican governor in California," Sanders,tacitly referring to Elder, says in the new ad.