Californians may have thought they were done voting in Gavin Newsom. He’s been elected twice as governor, defeated a recall seeking to oust him from office, and is barred by term limits from running again, The New York Times reported.
But the state’s voters will soon weigh in once more on Mr. Newsom’s fate. This time, it will be on the form of a ballot measure the governor is pitching as a way to go after President Trump.
Mr. Newsom on Thursday kicked off his campaign for a proposition asking California voters to approve a new congressional map, an extraordinary move meant to help Democrats win more seats in the U.S. House of Representatives to counter Mr. Trump’s request that Texas gerrymander five more seats for Republicans.
The governor gathered Democratic lawmakers and union leaders waving “Defend Democracy” signs in a Los Angeles auditorium for a show of solidarity, marked by the hopeful buzz of a campaign rally. The event was held a day before California lawmakers aimed to make the map public.
“On Nov. 4 in California, you have the power to stand up to Trump,” Mr. Newsom told the crowd. “You have the power to declare that you support a system that is not rigged.”
The governor has dubbed his measure the Election Rigging Response Act. The phrase was emblazoned on red, white, and blue signs throughout the auditorium.
The campaign allows Mr. Newsom, who is contemplating a 2028 run for president, to position himself as a national Democratic leader, helping his party confront Mr. Trump at a time when it is locked out of power in Washington. The governor had framed his effort as a move to help Democrats win control of the House and thwart Mr. Trump in the second half of his term.
Mr. Newsom’s task will be to make his ballot measure a partisan push that appeals to the majority of California voters who oppose Mr. Trump. He has already begun that effort with a string of social media posts mocking Mr. Trump and mimicking is all-caps writing style online.
As a Californian, I am interested in seeing what will happen if Governor Gavin Newsom starts asking California voters to approve a new congressional map. Ideally, Gavin Newsom will make his ballot measure a partisan push that appeals to the majority of California voters who oppose Mr. Trump.
California is a huge state that includes a whole lot of people. Many Californian’s like Governor Gavin Newsom’s ideas and plans. That said, there was a time when disgruntled Republicans tried to recall Governor Newsom.
Supporters of the recall have 160 days — no later than September 4, 2025 – to collect 1,311,963 signatures to require a recall election.
Proponents of the recall effort criticize Governor Newsom forces handling of the Los Angeles County fires, the rising cost of living — including gas, electricity and insurance – along with concerns about crime rates, homelessness, the drug epidemic, and border-related issues.
When all was said and done, Governor Newsom was elected as California’s governor in 2018 with 61.9% of the vote. In 2021, there was an attempt to recall Newsom, yet he retained his position.
Personally, I would be happy to support Governor Gavin Newsom if he chooses to make a run for a presidency. Currently, he is clowning on Trump by using ALL CAPS when he responds to whatever Trump is doing.