Rural voters In california They have taken issue with Sacramento's Democratic majority and are pushing for their communities to secede from the blue urban areas that dominate state politics.
Paul Preston, who founded the new state of California in hopes of separating from its existing state, said conservative residents in rural California were tired of over-regulation, high costs of living, and a myriad of policies coming from the Democratic-dominated state legislature. house.
“We realized we were in a tyranny,” Preston told Fox News Digital, noting the disparity between Democrats and Republicans in state government.
Preston, the former headmaster, described California as “One party“A state that functions similarly to a communist system by issuing laws that ignore the rural class.
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A proposed map showing the new state of California. (New California)
Under the proposed map, the new state of California would include nearly all of California's 58 counties, excluding most of Los Angeles County, parts of Sacramento County, San Francisco, and other parts of the Bay Area. Preston said the map is just a suggestion and does not represent the final borders of the state.
Proponents contend that splitting California in two would provide fairer and more responsive governance for areas outside the state's largest cities.
Preston noted that the proposed state would do just that Mexico border In the context of combating illegal immigration. Among his many complaints are California's crime problems, which prompted voters to recall San Francisco's district attorney in 2022 and Alameda County DA Pamela Price in November. In Los Angeles County, voters ousted District Attorney George Gascón on Nov. 5 after just one term as critics blamed him for being too soft on criminals.
Voters also endorsed the tough-on-crime Proposition 36 last month despite efforts by state Democrats and Gov. Gavin Newsom to preserve a decade of criminal justice reform policies that critics say have empowered criminals.
“I don't think anyone is going to tell California that we're free from invasion and we're free from domestic violence,” Preston said. Citing the crime The influx of illegal immigrants into the country.
Fox News Digital reached out to Newsom's office and State Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, a Democrat. The California Democratic Party said no one was available to comment on the matter.
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California State Capitol Building in Sacramento (Justin Sullivan/Justin Sullivan)
In recent years, California has been criticized for its high cost of living, a growing homelessness epidemic — despite spending billions to address the problem — and lax criminal justice and sanctuary state policies that opponents say contribute to crime.
James Gallagher, Republican leader in the state Assembly, said he knew nothing about California's new state effort specifically, but said, “I totally understand that.” However, Gallagher said the gap isn't necessarily between urban and rural areas, so much as it is coastal versus inland communities.
“It often feels like there are two separate states in California,” he told Fox News Digital. “This interior seems to have been completely forgotten by Gavin Newsom and The overwhelming majority are Democrats. “All the politics that come out of Sacramento doesn’t burden them (Democrat lawmakers).”
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Governor Gavin Newsom speaks at a press conference on September 25. (Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
As an example, Gallagher cited California-led electric vehicle mandates that require all new vehicle sales in the state to be zero-emission models by 2035, which he said would hurt many rural residents.
California is actually more conservative than the rest of the country thinks, said Tina Hissong, 55, who lives in Yuba City, a few miles north of Sacramento. She cited the Electoral College map from the November presidential election.
“The map that came out of the last vote and how red California really is is more representative of the way I feel California is,” she told Fox News Digital. “We are a red state and the big blue centers — Los Angeles and San Francisco — get all the representation because they have larger populations.”
Ellen Lee Chu, who grew up in China and is running for mayor of San Francisco, said Democratic lawmakers and Newsom prioritized illegal immigrants over legal residents and abandoned all common sense.
“What we've seen in the last 10 years is unbelievable with the homeless, drug dealing and open prostitution,” Chu told Fox News Digital. “I can't explain what happened to the leadership.”
Despite the vice president Kamala Harris After winning the statewide popular vote, with significant support from coastal areas, Trump carried most of the counties, especially in rural areas.
Map showing the results of the 2024 presidential election in California. President-elect Trump won counties colored orange and Vice President Kamala Harris carried counties colored blue, mostly along coastal and urban areas. (California Secretary of State)
In the wake of the November 5 election, Newsom visited red counties in California, where he told voters: “Message received.”
“I don't care who you voted for. I care about the people. I care about Trump supporters, I care about RFK Jr. (Robert Kennedy Jr.) supporters, I care about Tucker Carlson supporters, I care about Charlie Kirk supporters.” “I care about Ben Shapiro’s supporters, and I care about all people,” he said during one of his stops.
“I care about the people who live here, in the Sierra, and the people down here San Diego“Where I was just from, or in my backyard in Fair Oaks, California,” Newsom added.
Trump attacked liberal cities, saying they were crime-ridden, overtaxed, and broken down by Democratic policies that focused on “woke” ideology rather than improving the quality of life for their residents.
California has a long history of trying to break itself into smaller parts. Since 1850, when it became the 31st state admitted to the union, there have been more than 220 attempts to divide it into six smaller states, according to the California State Library.
More recently, billionaire Silicon Valley venture capitalist Tim Draper proposed an initiative to divide California into six states, but the proposal failed to qualify for the 2016 ballot.
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In 2018, Draper successfully got a measure to divide California into three states on the 2018 ballot after the “CAL 3” referendum received enough signatures from voters. However, on July 18, 2018, the state Supreme Court decided to remove the question from the ballot “because significant questions have been raised regarding the validity of the proposal,” the library’s website states.
Other countries have also supported some type of succession effort in the past.
In 2020, West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice said unhappy rural counties in neighboring Virginia are more than welcome to join his state.
“If you're not really happy where you are, we stand with open arms to take you from Virginia or wherever you may be,” Justice, a Republican, said at the time. “We stand strongly behind the Second Amendment, and we stand strongly for the unborn.”
The rural-urban divide has been part of politics for a long time. In November, Trump made some gains in urban, suburban and rural areas, surprising many.
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California Governor Gavin Newsom and President-elect Trump (Getty/AP)
Although His growing support Among Californians, Newsom held a special session amid efforts to “protect” Trump from potential federal interference, but said he would work with the incoming administration.
He added: “But when there is abuse, when lives are threatened, and when rights and freedoms are targeted, we will take action.” “And that is exactly what this special session is about — setting this state up for success, no matter who is in the White House.”
While Preston doesn't expect secession right away, keeping in mind that the effort would need the Legislature's blessing, he believes openness will come.
“This is really a debate between urban and rural areas,” he said. “We've been very well received in Congress (during our visits to Washington), even by Democrats. It's interesting that people who are starting to see what we're doing are supporting us.”
Hawaii was the last state admitted to the union in 1959. Efforts were made to gain statehood by 1959 Puerto Rico Washington, DC, has failed in recent years after not receiving sufficient support.
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“I understand the discussion,” Gallagher said of New California’s efforts. “I think we might need to look into it. Maybe there should be two states.”
