How is second past the post voting democratic? [closed]

A recall election has been triggered in California. If Governor Gavin Newsom doesn't win the Keep/Remove part of the vote, it will go to a vote between the replacement candidates. Newsom has 48.8% support according to FiveThirtyEight, and the closest replacement candidate, Larry Elder, has 19.3% support according to the same poll. If Newsom doesn't win the first part of the recall, the candidate with the most votes in the second round instantly defeats all the other candidates (at least two others) and wins the entire election and becomes the new Governor. Elder doesn't have to beat Newsom to win, he only needs Newsom to lose and he wins by default (most likely, although he could still be beaten by a different candidate).

If Newsom loses with 48.8% support, how is it democratic to replace him with someone who only has 19.3% support?