Gavin Newsom

What is circulating

“Amid the 2025 mid-decade redistricting fight, California Governor Gavin Newsom said on a podcast on 17 August 2025: "Democrats have voted for national independent redistricting. Republicans have not."”

Claimed by Gavin Newsom · official statement

The facts

PolitiFact rated the claim Mostly True. In 2021 all House Democrats but one voted for H.R. 1, which would have required independent redistricting commissions, and every Republican present voted against it. However, redistricting was one part of an 884 page bill, and some Republicans have backed independent commissions at the state level, as in Idaho, New York and Colorado.

Fact check: PolitiFact

What is circulating

“On a podcast on 14 July 2025, Newsom said: "California provides $83.1 billion more than we receive from the federal government."”

Claimed by Gavin Newsom · official statement

The facts

PolitiFact rated the claim Mostly True. Rockefeller Institute data for 2022 show California paid $83.1 billion more to Washington than it received, while Texas received $71.1 billion more than it paid. Excluding pandemic spending, California's gap widens to $126.5 billion, though a separate figure Newsom cited on blue counties' share of GDP, 71 percent, was outdated; it was 62 percent in 2024.

Fact check: PolitiFact

What is circulating

“Responding to Republican criticism during the Los Angeles immigration protests, Newsom posted on X on 10 June 2025: "California has lower homicide rates than Alabama, Arkansas and Oklahoma."”

Claimed by Gavin Newsom · social media

The facts

PolitiFact rated the claim Mostly True. CDC data for 2022 show homicide rates per 100,000 people of 14.9 in Alabama, 11.8 in Arkansas, 8.3 in Oklahoma and 5.9 in California, and FBI 2023 data show the same order. Newsom slightly overstated Alabama's gap as triple when it was about 2.5 times, and California's overall violent crime rate, 508 per 100,000, is higher than Oklahoma's and Alabama's.

Fact check: PolitiFact