Hello, happy Thursday. There are 46 days left until President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, but who’s counting? that’s right. And apparently, so does Gov. Gavin Newsom.

At the request of the Democratic governor, California lawmakers took to the Capitol this week to protect the state from President Trump’s priorities, including the illegal deportation of millions of people in the country and the rollback of environmental protections. A special parliamentary session was held.

Newsom wants Congress to create a $25 million litigation fund to protect abortion access, climate change policy, disaster funding, LGBTQ+ rights and challenge policies that could “harm the nation.” would like to be approved.

But Resistance 2.0 is proving to be troublesome.

Yes, Democrats maintained a supermajority in Sacramento. But there is no doubt that Trump’s support is growing in California, and Republican state legislators are saying that the special session and all the talk is about “stopping Trump” in California and is just political theater. criticizing.

“The people of California sent a clear message during this election cycle: The majority party’s failure to address the most important issues facing us is over, and common sense, solutions We are ready to return to governing with a focus on,” Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones (R-Santee) said in a statement. “We’re excited to see Californians stand up to the Democratic Party machine and say ‘enough is enough.'”

The final blue-to-red flip in California

Vice President Kamala Harris easily won the state with 58.5% of the vote, but as of Wednesday, Trump had received The total number of votes cast was 6,081,688, about 75,000 more than four years ago and nearly 1.6 million more than the number of votes cast in 2016. (Under state law, counties have until 30 days (Thursday) after an election to officially count the votes cast.) required to be completed).

Trump won the final vote after county votes were counted. blue to red Visit rural Imperial County, a longtime Democratic stronghold bordering Mexico and Arizona. Trump defeated Harris there by 463 votes, becoming the first Republican presidential candidate to win the county since 1988, when voters chose George H.W. Bush.

That’s a dramatic change. In 2020, Imperial County favored Biden with 24.4% of the vote, but this year voters chose Trump by 0.8%, a difference of about 25 points.

The county, which relies heavily on agriculture and whose workforce could be decimated under President Trump’s deportation plan, has struggled with poverty and unemployment for years. Imperial County’s unemployment rate in October was 19.6%, the highest in the state and more than three times the state average. According to Employment Development Department.

Kay Pricola, a Republican from Brawley who has advised several local candidates over the years, told me this week that economic conditions and California’s high cost of living, gas prices and taxes are pushing the county to the right. He said he played a big role.

“Democrats have no financial constraints,” she said. “Taxes, taxes, taxes. Everything is for everyone, and you don’t have to work for it. … We’re forcing economically responsible people out of California. They’re tied to the land and leaving Those who cannot will carry greater burdens until they break, and their children will leave.”

Trump flipped nine California counties that voted for Biden: Butte, Fresno, Merced, Imperial, Inyo, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Joaquin and Stanislaus.

Speaking of flip…

In the final race for the U.S. House of Representatives, Merced Democrat Adam Gray ousted Republican incumbent Rep. John Duarte in a close race in the Central Valley.

When Mr. Duarte conceded Tuesday night, Mr. Gray held a 187-vote lead in the 13th Congressional District, the narrowest margin in the country.

The district is one of several seats considered critical to the contest for control of Congress in California, and one of three contested by Democrats from Republican control in the state. It was two.

Republicans will maintain a slim majority in the United States next year. Gray’s victory would give Republicans 220 seats, just over the 218 needed to control the chamber, and Democrats would gain 215.

“This district is ready for independent and responsible leadership that will always put Valley residents above partisan politics,” Gray said in a statement Tuesday, building bipartisan relationships and It added that it would work to “provide clean water, better educational opportunities and stronger infrastructure.” And a higher-paying job. ”

LAUSD vs. Trump?

Meanwhile, three members of the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Governors who were just elected or re-elected have spoken out about President Trump’s concerns about mass deportations, ending diversity programs, eliminating history education, and saying that President Trump is “woke.” I am “concerned” about plans for other themes I think about. ” and recently expanded rights restrictions to transgender and non-binary students in California.

“The freshmen’s defensive stance against Trump is consistent with the school board members who are expected to join next week,” the paper’s Howard Bloom reported. “Two weeks ago, the school board, without opposition, declared the school system a sanctuary for immigrants and the LGBTQ+ community, and called for more politically informed civics education.”

That position could put the nation’s second-largest school system in Trump’s crosshairs. President Trump has threatened to withhold federal funding from school districts that oppose his policies.

be careful,
haley branson potts

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