Conservative residents call for ‘New California State,’ citing frustration with Sacramento’s policies.
Rural Californians are reigniting efforts to break away from the state’s Democratic-controlled government, voicing concerns over overregulation, the rising cost of living, and policies they say ignore their needs. Paul Preston, founder of the New California State movement, is leading the charge to create a new state that would separate rural areas from California’s urban political dominance.
“We recognized that we were in a tyranny,” said Preston, a former school administrator, in an interview with Fox News Digital. He described California as a “one-party” state, likening its government to a communist regime where laws often overlook the rural population.
A Vision for ‘New California’
Preston’s proposed New California State would encompass nearly all of California’s 58 counties, with the exception of urban centers like Los Angeles County, Sacramento, and parts of the Bay Area. While still in the conceptual stage, the proposal aims to establish a state more attuned to the needs of rural communities, with stricter controls on issues like illegal immigration and crime.
Supporters argue that dividing the state would ensure fairer governance and reduce the disparity between rural and urban areas. The proposed map shows a New California that stretches to the Mexican border, a design intended to address border security concerns.
Among the grievances fueling the movement is California’s criminal justice record. Preston pointed to recent recalls of progressive district attorneys in San Francisco and Los Angeles as evidence of voter dissatisfaction. “I don’t think anybody’s going to tell California that we are free from invasion and we’re free from domestic violence,” Preston said, citing both crime rates and illegal immigration as key issues.
Growing Dissatisfaction Across Party Lines
The rural-urban divide in California politics is not new, but it appears to be deepening. Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher expressed empathy for the frustrations driving the New California movement. “It often feels like there are two separate states in California,” he said. Gallagher added that coastal policies, such as zero-emission vehicle mandates, disproportionately impact rural residents who rely on traditional vehicles for their livelihoods.
Residents like Tina Hessong of Yuba City argue that California’s political landscape is more conservative than it appears. “We are a red state, and the big blue centers—Los Angeles and San Francisco—get all the representation because they have the bigger population,” Hessong said, pointing to electoral maps as evidence of rural support for conservative policies.
Longstanding Efforts to Reshape the State
California has a history of attempted breakups. Since joining the union in 1850, more than 220 proposals have aimed to split the state into smaller entities. In recent years, Silicon Valley billionaire Tim Draper proposed dividing California into six states and later into three, but neither initiative succeeded.
Preston remains optimistic, emphasizing that rural voters are gaining allies in Congress. “This is really an urban versus rural debate,” he said. “We’ve been received very well in Congress, even by Democrats.”
Governor Gavin Newsom has acknowledged frustrations from the state’s rural communities. In visits to Republican strongholds after the November 5 election, he said, “Message received. I don’t care who you voted for. I care about people.”
However, critics like Ellen Lee Zhou, a former San Francisco mayoral candidate, argue that the state’s leadership has prioritized progressive policies at the expense of basic governance. “What we’ve seen in the last 10 years is unbelievable,” Zhou said, citing homelessness, crime, and open drug dealing as pressing issues.
A Nation Divided
California’s struggles mirror broader tensions across the United States, where urban and rural areas often clash over political priorities. While Preston’s New California may face significant legal and political hurdles, its supporters see the movement as a rallying cry for fair representation.
“This isn’t going to happen overnight,” Preston admitted. But for him and his supporters, the vision of New California represents a hopeful path forward for those who feel overlooked in the nation’s most populous state.
