New California: The Group Pushing for a Breakaway State

AENN

News Week

Story by Martha McHardy •

A group calling itself the New California movement is pushing for a dramatic reimagining of America's most populous state: splitting it into two.

Led by Paul Preston, a talk radio host on One Radio Network and president of the movement, supporters say California has been taken over by a "totalitarian one-party system" and argue that the only solution is to carve out a 51st state.

"We're not secessionists—we're not trying to secede from the Union," Preston told Newsweek. "We're making a new state, growing the Union of states, so that we will become the 51st state of the Union."

Newsweek has contacted Governor Gavin Newsom's office for comment via email.

A Breakaway Vision

Preston said the group formally declared independence in 2018, citing frustration with what he described as decades of Democratic control. "We're doing this because we think that we have a totalitarian government in California today, and have had for quite some time. That's why a large group of people got together and declared independence back in 2018," he said.

Since then, he added, supporters have staged weekly demonstrations to press their case: "We've read 190 grievances into the public record on the Public Square, over 190 weeks' worth of reading, every Tuesday at Superior Court buildings around the state in all 58 counties. Pleading our case and discussing what is the totalitarian nature, and why we feel we are living in tyranny."

A Longshot Bid

But the idea is almost certain to fail. Every citizen-led effort to split or secede from a U.S. state has collapsed in modern history. Texas has repeatedly debated breaking into multiple states. And Puerto Rico has held referendums on becoming the 51st state. In California, "Calexit" pushed a 2018 ballot initiative for independence. None has advanced.

The precedent New California cites is West Virginia, which broke away from Confederate Virginia during the Civil War and gained statehood in 1863. But that occurred in the midst of armed conflict and with the approval of Congress—something that would also be required for New California, making the path forward nearly impossible.

Still, Preston insists momentum is on their side. "California is run by the Democratic Party, in a very large way by supermajorities in the legislature," he said. "But the facts are, California is not a deep blue state."

Claims of Tyranny

Preston argues that California has been transformed into a "tyranny" run by Democrats, pointing to the party's supermajorities in the state legislature and its dominance in congressional seats.

California is one of the most reliably Democratic states in the country. Democrats hold every statewide office, command supermajorities in both chambers of the legislature, and control the overwhelming majority of the state's 52 congressional seats. In presidential politics, California has been a Democratic stronghold since 1992, consistently delivering lopsided margins—most recently giving Joe Biden nearly 63 percent of the vote in 2020.

Yet beneath that dominance, signs of movement have emerged. In 2024, California—along with New York—registered the largest rightward shift of any state, swinging 12 points toward Republicans compared with 2020. While Democrats still carried the state comfortably, the shift underscored growing pockets of discontent.

Nonetheless, Preston said, "California is a single one-party state."

"It's the equivalent of North Korea, Communist China, Cuba, Venezuela—California joins those ranks." California holds free and competitive elections at every level of government, and Republicans continue to win local offices and represent several congressional districts, particularly in the Central Valley and Orange County.

He also alleges the state's election system is "corrupt," claiming—without evidence—that voting machines such as Dominion and Smartmatic have been used to "select" rather than elect leaders. "In my opinion, based upon what we've seen, California is a deep red state. It is not a deep blue state," he insisted.

The movement envisions New California as a Republican-leaning state that would deliver as many as 28 House seats to Washington. Preston said that once Congress granted statehood, "they'll give us 90 days to hold an election, to make sure that the elected officials are put in the proper place and then our contingent from Congress is put in place as well."

A 'Constitutional Convention'

Despite the obstacles, the movement has pressed ahead with quasi-governmental ceremonies. On July 1, the group convened a "constitutional convention" at the Visalia Convention Center. A month later, supporters across the state participated in a vote on whether to approve a proposed constitution.

According to organizers, about 1,500 people turned out statewide to cast ballots at polling places that included gun clubs and meeting halls. The results were lopsided. One measure, aimed at adopting a constitution to combat what the group calls "slavery" and child sex trafficking, passed by a margin of 1,415 to 5. Another, focused on protecting natural resources and opposing Governor Gavin Newsom's "radical agenda," was approved 1,412 to 9. A third measure, calling for the constitution to be sent to Congress in pursuit of statehood, passed 1,391 to 29.

"All three measures were overwhelmingly passed statewide by the supporters of the movement," Preston said.

New California The Group Pushing For A Breakaway State Newsweek Illustration/Getty Images/Canva© Newsweek Illustration/Getty Images/Canva

A Plan for California's Future

Beyond the political fight, Preston has also pitched an economic plan he says would stabilize the finances of a breakaway state. "California is deeply in debt—I can't emphasize this enough. They have no money. They're deeply in debt to the trillions of dollars."

California carries very high liabilities. As of fiscal year 2022, it had about $498 billion in total liabilities, more than double those in many other states such as Illinois, New York, Texas, and New Jersey. Its debt ratio (liabilities compared to its assets and revenue) was over 100 percent—specifically around 106 percent—placing it among the states with the heaviest financial burdens.

"They've brought us this financial wreck," Preston said. "But we intend to fix it. We intend to make California a great state again."

Part of that vision, he said, includes building four new dams to lower energy costs and generate revenue. "Right now, power in California costs around 34 cents per kilowatt hour. We plan to get that cost down to seven cents per kilowatt hour. We'll sell power to California … that will help pay down their debt."

California's electricity rates are among the highest in the country. Residential electricity bills are close to double the national average, especially in territories served by investor-owned utilities. For example, average residential electricity prices in California were about 27.77 cents per kilowatt-hour in 2023, which was roughly 84 percent above the U.S. average of 15.08 cents/kWh. California also leads the lower 48 states in residential and commercial electricity rates.

And polling indicates this is a concern for Californians. A July poll published by the Public Policy Institute of California showed that over half of respondents said prices at the pump and the cost of energy were major problems.

Hoping for Trump's Backing

One of the movement's hopes is to secure support from President Donald Trump. Preston acknowledged he has not spoken to Trump directly, but said his team has been in touch with Trump's allies.

"The Trump people contacted us and said they would carry it into Congress," Preston said, referring to the paperwork the group submitted to lawmakers last year.

Pressed on whether Trump himself was on board, Preston replied: "I believe he is, yes. What keeps him in the limelight is he is a strict constitutionalist. Joe Biden did not honor the Constitution of the United States and did not follow his oath of office. As a result, we had the largest invasion in our history as a country, and that has really plagued us badly and hurt communities."

Preston said he expects Trump to play a key role in advancing their proposal once it reaches Washington. "We look forward to meeting with the president," he said. "We've already made several trips to Washington, D.C. to lobby on behalf of New California with legislators."

Neither Trump nor the White House has publicly indicated support for the New California campaign. Newsweek has contacted the White House for comment via email.

What Happens Next

Preston has high hopes for the future. He was elected governor pro tempore of New California at the group's Eighth Constitutional Convention and would serve as the first governor if the state were somehow approved. He said the movement will hold additional internal elections in October and November to finalize its constitution and legislative framework.

"We will be made a new state, in a very short period of time," Preston declared. "It will happen. We are the only viable option to save the Union at this point."