Xavier Becerra Declares All-Out War on California Voter ID Initiative
California Democrats are gearing up for a fierce battle against a Republican-backed voter ID measure, with Xavier Becerra at the forefront of this multimillion-dollar campaign.
A new committee named “No on 39 – Block Trump’s Election Rigging” will be spearheaded by Becerra alongside California Speaker Robert Rivas as honorary co-chairs.
This initiative, supported by SEIU California and Planned Parenthood, represents the Democrats' most aggressive effort to thwart Proposition 39, which seeks to impose new voter requirements.
Becerra declared, “Donald Trump’s election rigging has no place in California.”
He added, “As attorney general, I took Trump to court — and won — when he tried to intimidate voters and suppress the vote. Prop. 39 is his playbook coming to California.”
Becerra’s leadership against Trump’s influence on voter ID laws may signal a strategic shift. Traditionally, Governor Gavin Newsom has been the primary opponent of Trump in California. However, with Newsom eyeing the 2028 presidential race and Becerra focused on state ambitions this November, the dynamics are shifting.
A spokesperson for Newsom indicated that the governor plans to announce his endorsements for the upcoming election next month.
The SAVE Act, which has Trump’s backing and is currently under debate in Congress, would mandate documentary proof of U.S. citizenship for federal voter registration. Proponents argue it safeguards election integrity, while critics warn it could disenfranchise eligible voters.
Proposition 39 would require voters to present government-issued identification when voting in person or provide the last four digits of a driver’s license, Social Security number, or another government-issued ID number for mail-in voting.
Additionally, it mandates the state to issue voter identification cards upon request, enhance citizenship verification efforts, and conduct more election audits.
A poll from the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies revealed that 56% of likely voters initially supported Proposition 39 after a neutral description. However, support waned after hearing arguments from both sides.
The opposition committee launched with over $2 million but lags behind supporters of Proposition 39, who have amassed over $12 million. The new committee's formation was first reported by Politico.
Proposition 39, championed by Assemblymember Carl DeMaio (R-San Diego) and Reform California, qualified for the November ballot after supporters gathered sufficient signatures earlier this year. Democrats are explicitly linking the initiative to Trump in an effort to frame the election as a referendum on his presidency rather than a debate over voter ID.
The campaign's launch follows a dispute over Attorney General Rob Bonta’s revised ballot title and summary for Proposition 39. Supporters accused Bonta of bias after the official voter guide described the initiative as one that would “prohibit” citizens from voting without government-issued identification and “invalidate” mail ballots that do not meet ID requirements.
Earlier language during the signature-gathering phase characterized the measure as establishing additional voter identification and citizenship verification requirements.
DeMaio criticized the political maneuvering: “California politicians know that a super-majority of California voters support Prop 39’s bipartisan solution for Voter ID – so now they are corruptly trying to rig the election by putting a biased and dishonest title on this common-sense measure.”
Bonta’s office dismissed claims of election influence, asserting that state law permits changes to ballot language before an election and noting that all nine citizen-backed initiatives on this year’s ballot underwent revisions for clarity.
The opposition campaign contends that voter ID requirements would disproportionately impact minority voters and others who encounter obstacles in obtaining government-issued identification.
Rivas stated, “Donald Trump and his MAGA cronies like Carl DeMaio want to make it harder for California citizens — especially communities of color — to exercise their right to vote.”
He added, “Trump can’t handle the fact that he lost California by 20 points. He’s trying to rig the system and make it harder for you to exercise your constitutional rights.”
Jodi Hicks, CEO and president of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, linked “far-right MAGA activists” who have sought to roll back women’s reproductive rights with those behind the voter ID initiative.
Hicks asserted, “They want to take away our fundamental freedoms — and that starts with denying Californians access to the ballot box.”
However, momentum may be shifting regarding voter ID. Recently, billionaire developer Rick Caruso diverged from California’s Democratic establishment by contributing $25,000 in support of Proposition 39.
Last week, veteran Democratic strategist James Carville cautioned that Democrats have lost public trust concerning voter fraud and should reconsider their opposition to voter ID laws in favor of focusing on other issues.
Carville remarked, “[Voter fraud] barely exists, and it just doesn’t make any sense.”
He concluded, “Having said that, we are not going to win the war against some kind of ID. It doesn’t make any sense. It doesn’t fix anything, but maybe you just go along with it and move to the next thing.”
