“It gave him and Democrats throughout the state a chance to rally,” said Democratic strategist Paul Maslin, who worked on Democratic Gov. Gray Davis’ failed bid to fend off a recall in 2003. (The Republican governor who took over after Davis was ousted, Arnold Schwarzenegger, is ready to fight Newsom’s plan ).

A special election in California to give Democrats new House seats will be expensive and politically perilous.

The brawl over redistricting is handing Gov. Gavin Newsom his biggest platform yet ahead of a likely presidential run in 2028