Shortly after Democratic lawmakers in California this fall passed the first state ban on discrimination by caste, a prominent Indian American party fundraiser says, he confronted Gov. Gavin Newsom with a stark warning.

If Newsom signed the bill, he would alienate and lose the support of Indian American donors and voters, Ajay Jain Bhutoria, a former deputy co-chair of the Democratic National Committee, said he cautioned Newsom.