California voters pass Proposition 50 to reshape congressional districts

California voters have handed a poll initiative that can have a big impact on the battle for almost all within the US Home of Representatives subsequent yr.

In keeping with the Fox Information Determination Desk, California voters have authorized Proposition 50, which might dramatically change the state’s congressional districts, pitting the state’s left-wing entrance and heart within the political battle over redistricting that pits President Donald Trump and the Republican Celebration towards Democrats.

Approval of the poll initiative within the nation’s most populous state will briefly sideline California’s nonpartisan redistricting fee and return the ability to attract congressional maps to the Democratic-dominated Legislature.

The hassle in California, which may create 5 further Democratic-leaning congressional districts, is aimed toward countering the passage within the reliably pink state of Texas of a brand new map that goals to create as much as 5 right-leaning seats within the Home of Representatives. Failure to move what is called Proposition 50 would have been a painful setback for Democrats.

OBAMA ENDORSES NEWSOM CALIFORNIA REDISTRIBUTION PROP 50

California Governor Gavin Newsom introduced a plan for a particular election on August 14, 2025 in Los Angeles to hunt voter approval for a brand new congressional map. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Pictures)

Two-term Governor Gavin Newsom, seen as a probable 2028 Democratic presidential candidate, led the trouble to approve the proposal.

“If we lose right here, we may have full Republican management of the Home of Representatives, the Senate and the White Home for at the least two extra years,” Newsom pressured in a latest fundraising enchantment for supporters. “If we win right here, we are able to regulate Trump for his final two years.”

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Trump and Republicans’ push for a uncommon mid-decade redistricting is a part of a broad effort by the Republican Celebration to strengthen its razor-thin majority within the Home of Representatives to take care of management of the chamber in the course of the 2026 midterm elections, when the social gathering in energy historically faces political headwinds and loses seats.

Trump and his political staff wish to keep away from what occurred throughout his first time period within the White Home, when Democrats regained the bulk within the Home of Representatives within the 2018 midterm elections.

President Donald Trump speaks within the Oval Workplace of the White Home on October 6, 2025 in Washington, DC (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Pictures)

“California voters have despatched a powerful and clear message that they won’t stand by as Republicans try to rig the 2026 election,” Democratic Congressional Marketing campaign Committee Chair Suzan DelBene stated in a press release. “By voting overwhelmingly for Proposition 50, Californians are combating again towards the Republican Celebration’s disastrous report of elevating prices and taking away well being care from hundreds of thousands of individuals, all to offer tax breaks to the ultra-wealthy.”

However Rep. Richard Hudson, chairman of the rival Nationwide Republican Congressional Committee, argued that “regardless of how Democrats push the boundaries to match Gavin Newsom’s energy seize, they can’t remake their report of failure, which is why they won’t win the Home majority. Even underneath this new map, Republicans have clear alternatives to flip seats as a result of Californians have had sufficient of the Democrats’ chaos.”

Missouri joined Texas final month because the second Republican Celebration-controlled state to approve congressional redistricting forward of subsequent yr’s elections. The brand new map in Missouri will probably give the Republican Celebration a brand new right-leaning seat.

North Carolina’s Republican-controlled legislature additionally handed a brand new map that can probably create a brand new congressional seat for the Republican Celebration. Republican-controlled Indiana is on deck, with a particular legislative session starting this week.

However not like these states, California voters needed to weigh in earlier than returning redistricting energy to the legislature in Sacramento.

“Heaven assist us if we lose,” Newsom stated throughout a fundraising pitch. “That is an all-hands-on-deck second for Democrats.”

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Proponents and opponents of Proposition 50 raised a whole bunch of hundreds of thousands of {dollars}, with a lot of the cash spent to pay for a flood of promoting on either side.

One of many two most important teams opposing Newsom and Democrats labeled his efforts as “Cease Sacramento’s Energy Seize.”

Getting into the fray was former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, California’s final Republican governor.

Actor and former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is opposing Democrats’ resolution to droop the state’s nonpartisan redistricting panel. (Tristar Media/WireImage)

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Throughout his time period as governor, Schwarzenegger performed a key position within the passage of constitutional amendments in California in 2008 and 2010, which took the ability to attract the state’s legislative and congressional districts away from politicians and positioned it within the fingers of an unbiased fee.

Voters in Northern California are weighing in on Prop 50’s redistricting battle

“That is what they wish to do: take us backwards. That is why it is essential that you simply vote no on Prop 50,” Schwarzenegger stated in an advert towards Proposition 50. “Democracy – now we have to guard it, and now we have to start out combating for it.”

However as Election Day approached in California, supporters dramatically outnumbered opponents of the proposal, and polls confirmed a majority supporting the proposal.

Even earlier than Trump started his redistricting drive, Ohio was underneath court docket order to redraw its maps. That might give Republicans a lift in a former battleground state that’s now leaning to the proper.

Republicans in GOP-dominated Florida are additionally contemplating congressional redistricting. And Democrats in closely blue Maryland are contemplating redistricting, whereas the Democratic-controlled legislature in Virginia is already pushing for redistricting.

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Different states contemplating altering the maps are Democratic-dominated Illinois and pink states Kansas and Nebraska.

In the meantime, Democrats may probably acquire a seat in Republican-dominated Utah because of a brand new, extra aggressive map imposed by a decide.