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California Democrats aren't resisting; they're governing

Los Angeles Times

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September 24, 2025

The state’s lefty leaders are inching to the center, meeting voters where they are, and it’s improving people’s lives

- KAREN SKELTON GUEST CONTRIBUTOR

California Democrats aren't resisting; they're governing

JUSTIN SULLIVAN Getty Images

SAN FRANCISCO Mayor Daniel Lurie is hiring officers and partnering with local businesses.

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're not just resisting Trump; they're actually governing.

Forget what you think you know about California and its lefty Democrats. They’re inching to the center, meeting voters where they are, and it’s improving people's lives.

Just look at San Francisco, long seen as a dysfunctional emblem of failed progressive governance.

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