Thursday’s announcement by Governor Gavin Newsom that California will be holding a special election on November 4 in response to “election rigging” — Texas’s ongoing gerrymander to create Republican-controlled congressional districts — contained lots of references to poking the bear. Staffers in the governor’s office have been doing just that for the past week, imitating President Donald Trump’s communication style and posting unflattering video clips.
The first on August 11 stated, “DONALD TRUMP, IF YOU DO NOT STAND DOWN, WE WILL BE FORCED TO LEAD AN EFFORT TO REDRAW THE MAPS IN CA TO OFFSET THE RIGGING OF MAPS IN RED STATES. BUT IF THE OTHER STATES CALL OFF THEIR REDISTRICTING EFFORTS, WE WILL DO THE SAME. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER!”
Multiple posts went up daily, saying Trump was the “LOWEST POLLING PRESIDENT IN RECENT HISTORY” and that Newsom was “AMERICA’S FAVORITE GOVERNOR” and “(MANY SAY THE MOST LOVED & HANDSOME GOVERNOR).” Provocations ranged from “DONALD ‘TACO’ TRUMP, AS MANY CALL HIM” and “KaroLYIN LEAVITT WILL HAVE NO ANSWERS FOR THE SUPPOSED ‘FAKE MEDIA’ ABOUT CALIFORNIA’S BEAUTIFUL MAPS. PEOPLE ARE SAYING THEY ARE THE GREATEST MAPS EVER CREATED — EVEN BETTER THAN CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS’.”
By Wednesday, the posts were saying “LIBERATION DAY IS TOMORROW!” in imitation of Trump’s initial announcement of worldwide tariffs and continued with a reference to “(LITTLE) HANDS” and “DONALD ‘THE FAILURE’ TRUMP BE WARNED, TOMORROW MAY BE THE WORST DAY OF YOUR LIFE.”
In additional to trolling the president, Newsom and a boisterous group of elected officials held an announcement rally in Los Angeles. Border Patrol agents were gathered outside the venue — the Democracy Center of the Japanese American National Museum — on the same spot where Japanese Americans had been gathered and bused to internment camps in 1942.
The cameras rolled as masked agents bumped into each other as they formed up, and G. Bovino, a chief agent who is apparently leading sweeps in California, spoke on camera, bare-headed, his name on display, to say they were there “making Los Angeles a safer place.” They arrested one man delivering strawberries, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Inside, state and federal elected officials spoke as their peers cheered, erupting into chants of “Sí, se puede.” Newsom noted the agents outside and deplored the children whose parents had “disappeared,” presumably into ICE custody.
“Wake up, America. This is a serious moment,” said Newsom. The fear and anxiety went beyond Los Angeles, whose streets were “militarized, our due process right thrown out the window.”
While boosting California’s economic strength and population of 21 combined states — “Don’t mess with the great Golden State” — Newsom moved on to January 6, when Trump “tried to light democracy on fire, tried to wreck this country, tried to steal an election” by making a phone call to ask for 11,000 votes. “Here he is once again trying to rig an election.”
This time, said Newsom, the president called a governor to say “find me five seats,” referring to the ongoing effort by Texas to deny Democrat voters an effective franchise by creating Republican-dominant congressional districts through gerrymandering. Newsom said California was taking a similar, but different, step as they “cannot watch this democracy disappear district by district,” not just in Texas, but in Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, and Florida.
Guided by our better angels, as Newsom put it, and to model better behavior, California would put The Election Rigging Response Act to a vote of the people if the Legislature approved by a two-thirds vote. Calling the process transparent, Newsom said the map would be put on the ballot and the power would lie in the hands of the people to approve the redistricting.
The new districts would exist on a temporary basis. They would be redrawn, as scheduled, after the next Census, which takes place in 2030, Newson said, by California’s existing Citizens Redistricting Commission. A press release added that the current maps would remain if Texas or other states retained theirs.
Continuing to call Trump out, Newsom argued that Republicans needed the power of gerrymandering the next election because “they know what Donald Trump knows. He’s going to lose the midterms.” He predicted, “his [Trump’s] presidency ends in 17 months.”
Ending on a note extremely reminiscent of a presidential campaign speech, Newsom adjured that the voters had the power to stand up to Donald Trump on November 4, in response to bullying and intimidation, and to “save democracy” across the United States.
Democracy was on Salud Carbajal’s mind, too, when the Indy reached Santa Barbara’s congressmember after hours on Thursday. “Trump and the Republicans know their policies, such as the tariff-taxes, Big Beautiful Bill, and immigration raids, are unpopular so they are trying to steal enough congressional seats to stay in power,” Congressmember Carbajal said. “I fully support Governor Newsom’s efforts to protect our democracy, and the will of the American people, from this unprecedented power grab.”
Should this November’s special election result in a win, it will affect California’s midterm primary, currently scheduled for June 2026. The general election takes place November 3, 2026.
According to Joe Holland, the registrar of voters for Santa Barbara County, his office has been readying for a special election for several weeks, sending in the cost estimate of $2.225 million just this Thursday morning. He hoped the county would not have to foot the bill; the Election Rigging Response Act contains a provision to reimburse the costs of administering the election.
