On Oct. 15, 2026, Governor responded to a lawsuit the Trump Justice Department filed against California Secretary of State Dr. and Los Angeles Registrar‑Recorder/County Clerk Dean Logan; his office called the suit unfounded and a politically timed effort to interfere in state elections.
Newsom said, "This is a sad, desperate attempt by Trump to use his politicized Justice Department to try to suppress California voters just three weeks before Election Day."
The governor said the filing asks local officials to violate federal law and praised those officials as doing "a damn good job defending democracy."
He called the request "A totally unprecedented request that should scare the hell out of every American," and said the state will "call out this authoritarian as he tries every play in the dictator’s playbook."
The governor’s office noted Newsom signed a 13‑bill election protection package last month to increase safeguards from potential meddling; the office said California will continue to carry out free and fair elections in the Golden State.
State
Shirley N. Weber
Secretary of State · Democrat
Named 2 times in this story.
Portrait: Official portrait
State
Gavin Newsom
Governor · Democrat
Named 5 times in this story.
Portrait: Official portrait
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