Gavin Newsom, and his opponents, make California’s redistricting fight about him

California Gov. Gavin Newsom during an event at Belvedere Middle School in Los Angeles on October 8. Mario Tama/Getty Images

Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s name isn’t on the ballot this year, but California’s upcoming special election will likely hinge on how voters view him.

Newsom has made himself the face of California Democrats’ efforts to redraw their congressional maps in response to Texas Republicans’ mid-decade redistricting, investing his own political capital into his party’s efforts to win back control of the US House next year.

For supporters of Proposition 50, which would put in place new congressional maps that could give Democrats five additional seats, Newsom is a leader of one of the most substantive efforts to push back on President Donald Trump since he return