SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Gov. Gavin Newsom, Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, and Senate President pro Tem Monique Limon publicly entered the fight to preserve election integrity after President Donald Trump called on the Republican Party to “nationalize” elections last month.

Trump floated the idea of Republicans taking over election procedures in 15 states on a podcast episode with former FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino.

“The Republicans should say, ‘We want to take over,’ ” Trump said. “We should take over the voting, the voting in at least many — 15 places. The Republicans ought to nationalize the voting.” Federal officials have demanded voter rolls and other election information from states such as Georgia and Minnesota, claiming irregularities.

California Democrats, who hold a supermajority in the Legislature, are exploring policy proposals to limit federal immigration agents’ presence at polling places.

Rivas, Limon and Newsom went a step further Thursday, announcing in a rare joint statement that they would support legislative efforts to limit federal officials’ incursions into state election systems. All three are Democrats.

“As President Trump escalates his politically motivated assault on California’s safe and secure elections, we will not stand by while he sows distrust and seeks to undermine the fundamental right to vote. Californians have defended this right since the founding of our great state in 1850 — and we will not let Donald Trump burn our Democracy down 175 years later,” they said.

“United across branches of government, we will work together to protect our free and fair elections this November.”

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