Michael R. Blood / Associated Press

The Department of Justice announced Friday it will monitor polling sites in six jurisdictions next month: Passaic County, New Jersey, and Los Angeles, Orange, Kern, Riverside and Fresno counties in California “to ensure transparency, ballot security, and compliance with federal law.”

The former Democratic president is appearing in a 30-second ad urging California voters to approve a ballot proposal that could add as many as five Democrat-held House seats in California.

The fight for control of the U.S. House is underway in California. Voters are considering whether to drastically reshape congressional districts to add as many as five Democratic seats in advance of the 2026 midterm elections.

President Donald Trump’s call to redraw U.S. House districts before the 2026 elections has led to a wave of political maneuvering among state-level Republicans and Democrats. The current mid-decade redistricting is being driven partly by the close political margins in Congress.

Gov. Gavin Newsom is calling for a special election on November 4 to introduce new U.S. House maps. The goal is to win five more Democratic seats. This move responds to Republican efforts to gain five seats in Texas.

The two most populous U.S. states — California and Texas — are grappling for political advantage ahead of the 2026 elections, setting up a national proxy war as Democrats and Republicans vie for control of Congress in the latter half of Donald Trump's second presidency.

The race to become California’s next governor has kicked into a new gear. Following former Vice President Kamala Harris’ decision Wednesday to bypass the 2026 contest, the campaign entered a fresh phase lacking its biggest potential star and the presumptive early favorite.

Democratic U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla of California has been forcefully removed from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s news conference in Los Angeles and handcuffed by officers as he tried to speak up about immigration raids that have led to protests in California and elsewhere.