California Democrats are gearing up with a significant financial initiative to counter a voter ID bill supported by Republicans. Leading the effort is Xavier Becerra, who is a key contender for governor.
This new election committee, named No. 39 – Stop President Trump’s Election Fraud, is headed by Becerra alongside California State Chairman Robert Rivas, serving as honorary co-chairs.
The campaign has backing from organizations like SEIU California and Planned Parenthood, marking the Democrats’ most determined effort so far regarding Proposition 39, which aims to impose new voting requirements.
Becerra stated, “Donald Trump’s election fraud has no place in California.” He added that during his time as Attorney General, he successfully sued Trump for attempting to intimidate voters and suppress their participation. “Proposition 39 is Mr. Trump’s strategy coming to California,” he claimed.
In taking on the leadership in opposition to Trump, Becerra might be positioning himself for a broader strategy, at least regarding voter ID requirements.
Traditionally, Governor Gavin Newsom has opposed Trump in California, but with Newsom’s apparent aspirations for the 2028 presidential election—alongside his two federal political action committees—it seems Becerra’s focus might be shifting for this election cycle.
The SAVE Act, which Trump supports and is currently under consideration in Congress, would mandate documentary proof of U.S. citizenship for registering to vote in federal elections. Supporters argue it ensures election integrity, while critics warn it could hinder eligible voters.
Proposition 39 would ask voters to present a government-issued ID if voting in person, or provide the last four digits of a driver’s license, Social Security number, or another government ID number for mail-in voting. Moreover, it would mandate that states issue voter ID cards upon request, enhance citizenship verification practices, and increase election audits.
A recent University of California, Berkeley poll revealed that 56% of likely voters initially backed the proposal, but support diminished after hearing arguments from both sides.
The opposition has kicked off with over $2 million, though that falls short of the more than $12 million raised by supporters of Prop. 39.
Proposition 39, spearheaded by Rep. Carl DeMaio (R-San Diego) and Reform California, qualified for the November ballot after supporters gathered enough signatures. Democrats are trying to connect the initiative to Trump, aiming to frame the election as a referendum on him rather than solely a voter ID debate.
This campaign evolution follows a dispute about the title and summary of the Proposition 39 ballot, which California Attorney General Rob Bonta revised. Supporters accused him of bias because the official guide described the measure as “prohibiting” votes without government-issued IDs and invalidating mail-in ballots that do not meet ID constraints.
Earlier descriptions while signatures were collected suggested that the measure aimed to introduce more voter ID and citizenship verification requirements.
“California politicians understand that a supermajority of voters support Prop. 39, which is a bipartisan approach to voter ID. Now they’re trying to skew the election by labeling this common-sense measure in a biased way,” DeMaio has stated.
In response to criticism, Bonta’s office refuted claims of trying to sway the election, explaining that state law allows for changes to ballot language prior to elections and clarifying that all civic initiatives on this year’s ballots have undergone amendments for clarity.
Opponents argue that such voter ID requirements disproportionately burden minority groups and others who have trouble obtaining government IDs.
“Donald Trump and the MAGA crowd like Carl DeMaio want to make it harder for Californians, especially communities of color, to vote,” Rivas remarked. “Trump can’t accept that he lost California by 20 points. He’s attempting to manipulate the system to restrict constitutional rights.”
Jody Hicks, the CEO of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, accused “far-right MAGA activists” of attempting to diminish women’s reproductive rights, asserting they’re the same individuals pushing for the voter ID initiative.
“They aim to strip away our fundamental freedoms, starting with making it harder for Californians to access the ballot box,” Hicks emphasized.
However, this effort appears to be gaining traction, with billionaire developer Rick Caruso recently donating $25,000 to Proposition 39, which goes against California’s Democratic Party establishment.
Last week, veteran Democratic strategist James Carville expressed that the Democratic Party should address the issue of voter fraud more effectively, suggesting they might need to reconsider their stance against voter ID laws and redirect their focus elsewhere.
“Voter fraud is almost non-existent and mostly irrelevant,” Carville stated. “Still, I may have to accept the reality of the ID issue. It doesn’t truly resolve anything, but maybe it’s time to just move on.”
