Last night California voters passed Proposition 50, the state’s redistricting measure allowing for Democrats to gain five additional congressional seats in next year’s midterm elections. This measure, a counter to Republican redistricting efforts in Texas, was passed by a clear majority of California voters.
Yesterday, with over five million in support, California voters passed Proposition 50, allowing California to redraw congressional maps in favor of the democratic party. Governor Gavin Newsom led the effort behind Prop 50, as one of the most vocal critics of President Trump. The passing of this bill allows California to create a new congressional map to be in place for the next three election cycles. The independent redistricting commission will resume the drawing of the state’s congressional maps once more in 2030 alongside the U.S. Census.
“It was not just a victory tonight for the Democratic Party. It was a victory for the United States of America, for the people of this country, the principles that our Founding Fathers lived and died for,” Newsom said in a press conference after the measure passed. “We’re proud here in California to be a part of this narrative.”
There have been mixed reactions from both sides. Republican Congressman Kevin Kiley, whose district will be strongly impacted by the redrawn district boundaries, claimed that this measure is a “symptom of our country’s political divisions.
“The reason I opposed Prop. 50, even as I also oppose what’s happened in other states, is because I believe fighting fire with fire burns everything down,” Kiley said. “With California’s new gerrymander, the redistricting arms race has no end in sight… It’s a race to the bottom that degrades democracy everywhere.”
Conversely Ken Martin, the chair of the Democratic National Committee, called the passing of Prop 50 “a testament to the leadership of Governor Newsom and Democrats across California who refused to back down” adding “When we fight, we win, and from Day One, the DNC has been proud to stand right there alongside Californians to defend democracy and deliver a message that echoes nationwide,” Martin said.
As other republican led states consider redistricting, Newsom urges, “We all must contribute a verse,” calling on Virginia, Maryland, New York, Illinois, and Colorado to “meet this moment head on as well, to recognize what we’re up against in 2026.”