A big win in California propels Governor Gavin Newsom

CALIFORNIA – At a time when the Democrats have been searching for a win against US President Donald Trump, Governor Gavin Newsom of California gave them one.

California voters on Nov 4 overwhelmingly supported Proposition 50, Mr Newsom’s measure to create more Democratic congressional seats, countering a

similar redistricting effort pushed by Mr Trump

in other states to protect Republican control of the House in 2026.

The result has sharply lifted Mr Newsom’s political profile at a moment when he is considering running for president.

And it has provided what many Democrats praised as a road map on how to fight for a party that remains adrift one year after Mr Trump captured the White House.

The chair of the South Carolina Democratic Party, Ms Christale Spain, who hosted Mr Newsom on a swing through her state in July, said: “It shows that he can get stuff done.

“Democrats want somebody to fight back. He is pushing back and fighting back. That is what is helping him break through.”

The election has now freed Mr Newsom, whose term as governor ends in January 2027, to turn his attention to elevating his presence on the national stage, presenting himself as a leader who scored a high-profile electoral win for the Democrats at a bleak moment for the party.

He is planning to travel the country campaigning on behalf of Democratic congressional candidates.

He has a forthcoming memoir to promote. Aides said he is likely to soon pivot to the issue of climate change and cast himself as a climate champion, drawing a contrast to Mr Trump and his supporters.

The California results capped an evening of coast-to-coast victories by the Democrats, including contests for

mayor of New York

, governor of Virginia and governor of New Jersey.

The outcome in California was never preordained.

Mr Newsom took a political risk: He was essentially asking voters to overturn, albeit temporarily, a measure they had passed 15 years ago requiring a nonpartisan commission to draw congressional district lines.

He faced opposition from governmental reform groups and Mr Arnold Schwarzenegger, the former governor who had championed the initiative that created the commission.

By the end, the opposition had walked off the field and Mr Newsom’s win was so decisive that the race was called as soon as polls closed.

Mr Newsom was in the carriage house of the governor’s mansion at that moment, watching returns with about two dozen friends and aides.

A big cheer erupted as soon as CNN called the race in his favour, one of his aides said, and then Mr Newsom headed for the California Democratic Party headquarters. There, he addressed news cameras with a sombre tone that lacked the typical election night celebrations.

Standing between an American flag and a California flag, Mr Newsom cast the result as a repudiation of Mr Trump and a victory for the Democrats in California and across the nation.

“What a night for the Democratic Party - a party that is in its ascendancy, a party that is on its toes, no longer on its heels,” the governor said.

The result marks a decided turn in Mr Newsom’s fortunes. Just 18 months ago, he seemed in danger of being overshadowed by another California Democrat and sometimes-rival, Ms Kamala Harris, the former vice-president who had become the Democratic candidate for president after Mr Joe Biden dropped out of the race.

He was being disparaged by many leaders on the left for using his podcast to embrace and interview conservative supporters of Mr Trump, including Mr Charlie Kirk and Mr Steve Bannon.

He struck an initially conciliatory stance towards Mr Trump, again roiling many in his party, going to the airport in Los Angeles to warmly greet the President on the tarmac when he flew there in 2025 to inspect the damage after

devastating wildfires

.

But Mr Newsom began to methodically reposition himself this summer, after Mr Trump took control of California’s National Guard and

sent troops into Los Angeles

.

He began using social media to mimic and mock the president, in the process drawing approval from the left. His championing of Proposition 50 was the highest-profile evidence of his shift.

“Six months ago, the strategy was to engage with Maga leaders like Mr Steve Bannon,” said Mr Eric Jaye, a Democratic consultant in San Francisco who was an adviser to Mr Newsom when he was mayor of San Francisco.

Mr Jaye added: “With the Proposition 50 victory, Mr Newsom has made himself Mr Donald Trump’s chief, and most successful, antagonist, and that is exactly what Democratic primary voters are looking for nationally.”

The road ahead is far from easy if he seeks the presidency.

Even his allies say he carries significant political baggage. He’s a product of arguably the most liberal state in the country and a promoter of policies that are seen as out-of-touch with many voters.

He has a personal style that some of his critics argue is slick and off-putting. And the backlash he generated following one incident during the pandemic has never fully subsided.

Mr Newsom attended a birthday dinner for a lobbyist-friend at The French Laundry, one of the most expensive restaurants in the world, and was photographed not wearing a mask at a moment when he was telling Californians not to gather with their families for Thanksgiving.

This is a difficult time for California - struggling with the aftermath of the fires, a housing crisis and what many Republicans denounce as out of control spending - all of which Mr Newsom’s opponents would seek to have him own in any presidential campaign.

And even though voters approved Mr Newsom’s redistricting measure, it could prove for naught if the Republicans manage to hold on to the House, dimming the relevance of the victory on Nov 4.

“While it is a very important win for him politically, this is just the first step,” said Mr Brian Brokaw, a Democratic strategist who advises Mr Newsom.

“Doing what he can to make sure that the Democrats win those seats and take back the majority in the midterms will be just as important. Without that, Proposition 50 will have been just a blip along the way.”

And the Republicans have already made clear that no matter Mr Newsom’s victory with Proposition 50, they would try to diminish his standing in California and nationally, and seek to derail his attempt to stake out a spot on the presidential stage.

“Mr Gavin Newsom wants to be president, but before chasing his next job, he’s got 12 months left to try and clean up the mess he made in California,” said Mr Steve Hilton, a Republican and former Fox News host who is running for governor.

Mr Hilton added: “Instead of running the state he has been trying to rig our elections.”

Still, it is hard to recall a time when Mr Newsom appeared in such a commanding political position. He raised US$114 million (S$149 million) for the redistricting campaign, including US$38 million from supporters responding to text and e-mail appeals, assembling the kind of small donor list that could prove critical in a presidential race.

Much of that money came from outside California.

The result came not only at a pivotal time for Mr Newsom but for his party, which believes it has a chance to win back Congress from the Republicans.

The new lines are expected to help the Democrats win as many as five House seats now held by the Republicans in California.

On the night of Nov 4, Mr Newsom spoke solemnly about a nation struggling through perilous times, in a speech that suggested the themes he will no doubt strike again in the coming months.

“I hope it is dawning on people, the sobriety of this moment - what is at stake,” he said. NYTIMES