Former President Donald Trump and Gov. Gavin Newsom want you to believe they’re on opposite ends of the spectrum on California water. But their policies aren’t drastically different — and both lean toward the Republican-leaning farmers of the Central Valley. On the campaign trail, Trump has promised to force Newsom to turn on the faucet for water-strapped farmers if he is elected. Meanwhile, Newsom finalized rules [on Nov. 4] that insulate the state’s endangered fish protections from federal changes. But he’s also advancing controversial proposals to store and move around more water, a perennial ask of the agricultural industry, and easing pumping limits meant to protect an endangered fish in order to send more water south to parched farms. Newsom’s positioning has put the otherwise green-leaning governor squarely on the foe list for environmental groups and garnered him credit from unlikely sources.

Other election-related water articles:

• Grist: This California congressman is betting the farm on water
• E&E News by Politico: Scarce water concerns prominent in several Western races
• The Associated Press: Toss-up congressional races in liberal California could determine House control
• Arizona Republic: Arizona voters filling 5 seats on the Central Arizona Project board
• CBS Sacramento:Voters to weigh California Proposition 4, which would authorize $10B in bonds for climate projects
• Los Angeles Times: A Trump win could spell major changes for California’s drinking water, RFK Jr. says
• Los Angeles Times: Commentary: American democracy is at stake. So is the planet’s climate