California Governor Gavin Newsom blasted the United States Department of Justice’s decision to send election monitors into the state’s upcoming vote, calling it federal overreach and a threat to free elections. The DOJ asserts the move is routine oversight under federal law, but Newsom and other Democratic leaders say it amounts to intimidation and interference in a state‑run election.
Newsom posted sharply on social media: “Donald Trump’s puppet DOJ has no business screwing around with next month’s election… We will not back down.” He claimed the deployment is aimed at “intimidation” and “voter suppression.”
The DOJ responded through Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, noting that federal election monitors have been deployed for decades under previous administrations, including Democrat‑led ones. Dhillon wrote on X: “Lol calm down bro… The @TheJusticeDept under Democrat administrations has sent in federal election observers for decades, and not once did we hear that this was voter intimidation from states such as California.”
The monitoring will cover five California counties — Los Angeles, Orange, Kern, Riverside and Fresno — for the Nov. 4 special election on Proposition 50, which seeks to amend the state constitution to allow temporary redistricting of U.S. House seats.
Republican state parties requested federal monitors, citing concerns about ballot security and voter‑roll accuracy. The DOJ says the deployment is about transparency, ensuring compliance with federal law and maintaining public confidence in the process.
