There’s an old saying among politicos: “California is always on the ballot”—America’s most populous and productive state is in one way or another continually on the mind of the country’s voters. That’s palpably true this year, as the state considers a redistricting referendum meant to counter Republicans’ attempts to gerrymander the midterm elections in their favor, and as Governor Gavin Newsom, the subject of our November cover story, presents himself as a social media warrior ready to lead a listless Democratic Party.