Gov. Gavin Newsom answering the Republican redistricting power-grab in Texas with a plan of his own is a powerful example of how Golden State Democrats are standing up to President Trump and firing up their base. But while the partisan fireworks draw attention, California Democrats are also quietly offering a different kind of model for the national party that may prove more meaningful in the long run. They\u2019re not just resisting Trump; they\u2019re actually governing.<\/p>\n
Forget what you think you know about California and its lefty Democrats. They\u2019re inching to the center, meeting voters where they are, and it\u2019s improving people\u2019s lives.<\/p>\n
Just look at San Francisco, long seen as a dysfunctional emblem of failed progressive governance.<\/p>\n
The city\u2019s new mayor, Daniel Lurie, a nonprofit leader and philanthropist, has shaken off left-wing taboos and focused on delivering results<\/a>. Instead of defunding the police, he\u2019s hiring more officers and cracking down on shoplifting and drug crimes. Instead of demonizing the business community, he\u2019s partnering with them. He\u2019s also reforming zoning laws to make it easier to build more housing, which should ease the city\u2019s affordability crunch and the homelessness crisis. Lurie has been in office less than a year, but already crime is plummeting<\/a> and his approval rate has reached 73%<\/a>.<\/p>\n National Democrats can find a lesson here: Voters care about results, not just empathy and ideology.<\/p>\n In Sacramento, Newsom and legislative Democrats are taking a similar tack, with a stubborn focus on affordability and the courage to stare down opposition, even in their own coalition. For example, the Legislature recently reformed the California Environmental Quality Act, a well-intentioned 50-year-old law that had been twisted to obstruct construction projects, clean energy development and public transportation. This angered some powerful environmental activists, but it will ultimately help bring down costs for housing and energy.<\/p>\n CEQA reform is emblematic of California\u2019s new, more balanced approach on some thorny issues, like energy and climate. The state recently announced that two-thirds<\/a> of its power now comes from clean energy sources \u2014 a major achievement. At the same time, Newsom and the Legislature agreed<\/a> to a package of bills that will increase oil drilling while extending the state\u2019s cap-and-trade program. Together, the package can reduce energy costs for Californians and strengthen our state\u2019s chances of reaching carbon neutrality by 2045. Some environmental justice advocates and climate purists oppose the deal, but it\u2019s an example of how to make progress in the long term while addressing affordability in the short term.<\/p>\n Immigration is another example: Newsom and other leading California Democrats continue to stand up to the Trump administration\u2019s inhumane immigration policies, including suing<\/a> to stop the deployment of troops to Los Angeles. But they also recently passed a budget that pulls back<\/a> on costly plans to provide health insurance to all low-income undocumented immigrants.<\/p>\n This reflects the new California model: principled resistance and pragmatic governance. The results speak for themselves. The Golden State recently surpassed<\/a> Japan to become the fourth-largest economy in the world.<\/p>\n Democratic leaders are making these moves because they are listening to voters who consistently say that the high cost of living is their top concern<\/a>.<\/p>\n In 2024, these concerns contributed to a surprising number of Californians abandoning Democrats, even with Kamala Harris, the state\u2019s former U.S. senator and attorney general, on the ticket. Trump flipped 10 counties<\/a> and boosted his support in 45. Since 2016, 72%<\/a> of California counties have gotten redder, including many with heavy Latino populations.<\/p>\n Democrats are paying attention and are wisely changing course. Being responsive to voter concerns doesn\u2019t have to mean sacrificing core values, but it does require new approaches when the old ways aren\u2019t working.<\/p>\n Karen Skelton (whose father is a political columnist for the Los Angeles Times) is a political strategist, having worked in the White House under Presidents Clinton and Biden and at the United States Departments of Energy, Transportation and Justice.<\/p>\n Insights <\/p>\n L.A. Times Insights<\/a> delivers AI-generated analysis on Voices content to offer all points of view. Insights does not appear on any news articles. <\/p>\n Viewpoint This article generally aligns with a Center<\/b> point of view. Learn more about this AI-generated analysis<\/a> Perspectives <\/p>\n The following AI-generated content is powered by Perplexity. The Los Angeles Times editorial staff does not create or edit the content.<\/p>\n Ideas expressed in the piece<\/p>\n California Democrats are demonstrating effective governance by moving toward the political center while maintaining their core values, offering a model for the national Democratic Party that goes beyond mere resistance to Trump\u2019s policies.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie exemplifies this pragmatic approach by hiring more police officers, cracking down on shoplifting and drug crimes, and partnering with the business community rather than demonizing it, resulting in plummeting crime rates and a 73% approval rating.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Sacramento Democrats are prioritizing affordability and practical results over ideological purity, as demonstrated by their reform of the California Environmental Quality Act despite opposition from environmental activists, ultimately helping to reduce housing and energy costs.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n The state\u2019s balanced approach to energy and climate policy shows how Democrats can make long-term progress while addressing immediate affordability concerns, achieving two-thirds clean energy power while also increasing oil drilling through a cap-and-trade package.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n On immigration, California Democrats maintain principled resistance to Trump\u2019s policies while making pragmatic budget decisions, such as pulling back on costly plans to provide health insurance to all low-income undocumented immigrants.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n This strategic shift reflects Democrats\u2019 responsiveness to voter concerns about the high cost of living, which contributed to Trump gaining support in 10 counties and 45 others in 2024, with 72% of California counties becoming redder since 2016.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Different views on the topic<\/p>\n Republican leaders view California\u2019s redistricting response as a partisan power grab rather than principled governance, with some vowing to challenge the maps in court and arguing that the redistricting process violates the California Constitution by relying on outdated population data[1]<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Environmental activists and climate advocates oppose California\u2019s pragmatic approach to energy policy, particularly the package that increases oil drilling while extending cap-and-trade programs, viewing it as a betrayal of environmental justice principles.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n\n
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