WASHINGTON (TNND) — Former President Barack Obama stars in a new tv advertisement promoting California Governor Gavin Newsom’s redistricting campaign, which was created to counter Texas Republicans’ redrawn map.

Obama, who has the highest favorability rating among the living presidents, pleaded to Californians to turn out and vote in favor of Proposition 50, which will appear on the state’s special election ballot next month.

“California, the whole nation is counting on you,” Obama says in the 30-second spot.

“Republicans want to steal enough seats in Congress to rig the next election and wield enough unchecked power for two more years. With [Proposition] 50, you can stop Republicans in their tracks.”

As Obama spoke, images and videos of Trump and border patrol agents were displayed.

If voters pass Proposition 50, this means that the state legislature will be allowed to circumvent the independent redistricting commission when it creates the state’s new Congressional map.

Newsom, who is considered to be a likely Democratic candidate for 2028, began advocating for California to redraw its map in response to Texas Republicans passing a map, which would in theory create five GOP seats. The redistricting efforts this summer in Texas were an ongoing, dramatic saga, as many Democratic lawmakers fled the state in an effort to prevent the map’s passage.

Obama has long been a major support of the redistricting efforts in California, making a post in August on X applauding Newsom’s endeavors.

“Since Texas is taking direction from a partisan White House and gerrymandering in the middle of a decade to try and maintain the House despite their unpopular policies, I have tremendous respect for how Governor Newsom has approached this,” Newsom wrote.

“He’s put forward a smart, measured approach in California, designed to address a very particular problem at a very particular moment in time.”

So far, Republicans have not enlisted big names to appear in ad campaigns denouncing Proposition 50. Although, former Republican California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who possesses a strained relationship with President Donald Trump, has come out to say Newsom’s efforts is not the best way to combat Republicans.

“I mean, two bad behaviors don’t make a right behavior,” the governor said.”Two wrongs don’t make a right.”