In the last week, with lightning speed, the nation's foremost political leaders have jettisoned any pretense of political fairness in favor of an all-out partisan war for power.

So did California Democrats, especially Gov. Gavin Newsom. In a matter of weeks, they bluffed themselves into the marquee political contest of Trump’s second term, a high-voltage fight to shape the outcome of the 2026 midterms and the remaining years of his presidency.

California Democrats are hoping to turn the push for voters to approve new congressional maps into a referendum on Trump.