Gov. Gavin Newsom is doing all he can to position himself as the Democratic candidate in the next presidential election.
With his call for a Nov. 4 special election, Newsom is taking a huge bet on his political future.
Newsom is asking Californians to support a state constitutional amendment allowing new congressional maps approved by the state Legislature to go into effect for the 2026, 2028 and 2030 election cycles.
This would set aside the maps drawn by the state’s independent redistricting commission, and for a time give Democrats an even greater advantage in picking up House seats in California.
The challenge for Newsom is that most Californians like the idea of an independent commission drawing the maps rather than state lawmakers.
A recent POLITICO-Citrin Center-Possibility Lab survey indicates only 36% of Californians polled like the idea of turning this power over to politicians.
Newsom is no doubt betting that he can get his proposal through by insisting he is standing up for democracy and against President Donald Trump.
Only time will tell whether Californians think this sounds authentic and persuadable or more like a cynical manipulation of Democratic sentiment for political gain.
Either way, the clips of Newsom speaking out against the president and putting himself forward as a defender of democracy will no doubt bring the governor a lot of campaign dollars.
Newsom and his taxpayer-funded team are even using the official gubernatorial office account on X to promote his efforts.
Indeed, the lines between campaign and official activity are being blurred by the governor.
“California taxpayers appear to be paying for a rally that has been organized and is being streamed with state resources for Gov. Newsom and other Democratic leaders’ redistricting ballot initiative that they’re calling the ‘Election Rigging Response Act,’” reported KCRA’s Ashley Zavala.
We get it. Newsom no doubt notices that Trump has been able to get away with things no other politician could, so Newsom will test the boundaries in turn. That’s American politics in 2025.
This gamesmanship aside, it would be great to have a governor who can focus on his actual job rather than a job he hopes to have. California has a lot of problems that need fixing. Campaigning might be more fun than governing, but that’s what his job is.