Republicans are up in arms after California Gov. Gavin Newsom set a special election to fill a GOP-held House seat for Aug. 4—the latest date he could under state law.
The move ensures that the seat—left vacant when Republican Rep. Doug LaMalfa died unexpectedly on Jan. 6—will be open for eight months, thereby robbing House Speaker Mike Johnson of a critical vote in his narrow and unruly majority.
“Gavin Newsom’s decision to punt this special election to August is a blatant waste of taxpayer dollars and a disservice to the people of California’s First District," National Republican Congressional Committee Chair Richard Hudson whined in a statement. "He could have scheduled this election alongside the June primary, but instead chose to leave this seat vacant for months. Californians deserve a voice in Congress, and Newsom is denying them one for purely political reasons.”
National Republican Congressional Committee Chair Richard Hudson, shown in 2024.
Republican Rep. Darrell Issa of California also complained, writing in a post on X, "When its [sic] a Democrat seat, Newsom says the goal is representation as soon as possible. When its [sic] Republican, he purposely leaves constituents stranded."
Of course, Newsom was just giving Republicans a taste of their own medicine. GOP governors have held Democratic-leaning seats open for even longer, as a way to help House Republicans.
For example, a safely Democratic House seat in Houston will have been vacant roughly 11 months, after Texas GOP Gov. Greg Abbott played politics and called a special election for the latest date he could.
In Florida, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis kept the seat of the late Democratic Rep. Alcee Hastings vacant for nine months, starting in 2021. That robbed Democrats of a vote in a critical period of then-President Joe Biden's first year in office.
Yet Republicans weren't complaining then.
They whine only now, when a Democrat is using Republicans’ hardball tactics against them.
Indeed, that should be a feather in Newsom's cap in what is expected to be a crowded Democratic primary field in the 2028 presidential race.
Newsom has consistently fought fire with fire, including shepherding through a mid-decade redistricting effort that thwarted President Donald Trump's efforts to rig the midterm elections for Republicans.
Back in August, when Newsom launched the redistricting effort, he explained why it's so critical that Democrats do whatever they can to fight back against Trump and the GOP.
“We’re not going to act as if anything is normal any longer," Newsom said at the time. "It’s not about whether we play hardball anymore. It’s about how we play hardball. And California has your back.”
With his decision to hold California’s 1st District open as long as possible, Newsom is proving that to be true once again.
