The governor’s office said Oct. 28, 2026 that U.S. District Judge David Carter ruled against the Trump administration’s lawsuit seeking to use federal power to interfere with California’s administration of elections; the statement framed the ruling as a check on what it called an effort to subvert the Constitution and democracy.
“For the second day this week, our country’s legal system is standing up to the President’s authoritarian attempts to remain in power unchecked and unchallenged,” Gov. said. “For more than a year, California’s sovereignty has been under siege, and this lawsuit is his latest attack on the rule of law, the California Constitution, and the U.S. Constitution.”
Newsom said, “California will continue to deliver a free and fair election that follows both state and federal law.” He said the Judicial Branch, which he described as “importantly a co-equal branch of government,” is deciding in real time; he added that that is happening “much to the Trump Administration’s dismay.”
Attorney General echoed the legal characterization. “No administration can disenfranchise thousands of individuals or disrupt an ongoing election based on highly unreliable claims of noncitizenship,” Bonta said. “Today’s ruling is yet another important victory for the rule of law and the right to vote. But this fight is not over. We will keep fighting to protect California’s elections from unlawful federal interference and get this baseless lawsuit dismissed.”
The release noted the ruling follows the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals’ rejection of the Trump Justice Department’s request for a preliminary injunction. The governor’s office framed both decisions as backing California’s right to run elections free of federal interference; the statements say state officials will continue to defend the case in court.
State
Rob Bonta
Attorney General · Democrat
Named 2 times in this story.
Portrait: Official portrait
State
Gavin Newsom
Governor · Democrat
Named 3 times in this story.
Portrait: Official portrait
Sources & methodology
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