John —
I am writing to ask you to make a contribution to help us pass new congressional maps in California. This is an important ask - so I want to explain why it's so important.
Here is the truth:
Donald Trump knows he’s going to lose in 2026, so he is rigging the election by forcing Republican Governors like Greg Abbott to draw new congressional maps that find him more House seats. We cannot sit idly by while this happens. California is going to fight back.
In California, that requires us to go to the ballot. By doing so, we will neuter Trump’s ability to rig the system. We are getting close to final decision time. But one of the big factors is whether or not we'll be able to fund this effort.
It's a vote we can win, but we're talking about flipping at least 5 House seats and further strengthening currently competitive Democratic seats.
You can imagine what Republicans will spend to stop us.
And we can't afford to lose. Because if we lose in California, Republicans will feel as if they can redistrict whenever they want, wherever they want without fear.
It is a damn shame it's come to this. I can't stand these gerrymandered districts.
But Democrats can't just sit there and act holier than thou while we watch our democracy be totally degraded.
We're going to fight fire with fire ... but it's not something I can do alone. This isn't a fight we can just sit back and witness. We all have a role in shaping its outcome.
So I am asking - directly:
If Greg Abbott and Donald Trump want to find five seats in Texas, then the blue state of California is going to get darker blue.
But only if you're in this with me.
Gavin Newsom
