{"id":27616,"date":"2025-10-28T22:23:15","date_gmt":"2025-10-28T22:23:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/27616\/"},"modified":"2025-10-28T22:23:15","modified_gmt":"2025-10-28T22:23:15","slug":"californias-prop-50-puts-rural-north-in-same-house-district-as-rich-coastal-areas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/27616\/","title":{"rendered":"California’s Prop 50 puts rural north in same House district as rich coastal areas"},"content":{"rendered":"

REDDING, Calif. (AP) \u2014 In a stretch of Northern California known for farming, ranching and a rural way of life, residents worry a ballot measure<\/a> to redraw U.S. House maps is all but certain to dilute what little political power they possess in the heavily Democratic state.<\/p>\n

If Proposition 50 passes, voters in three northern counties that went strongly for President Donald Trump<\/a> in the last three elections would share a representative with some of the state\u2019s wealthiest and most liberal coastal communities. Rural voters would be outnumbered, making it unlikely for a Republican candidate to prevail.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost of us see it as, you know, just massive gerrymandering, taking what little representation that we had away and now we\u2019ll have absolutely nothing,\u201d Patrick Jones, a former Shasta County supervisor, said in a recent interview in his family\u2019s gun shop.<\/p>\n

Voting concludes Nov. 4 on the measure, which would create partisan U.S. House maps outside of normal once-a-decade redistricting handled by an independent commission. It\u2019s an effort by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom to counter a Trump-backed plan in Texas<\/a> to gain five more Republican seats. He says it\u2019s necessary to defend democracy, but California Republicans call it a power grab that will disenfranchise voters. Republicans currently hold nine of the state\u2019s 52 congressional seats.<\/p>\n

In Redding, one of the largest cities north of Sacramento, bright yellow signs urging residents to defend fair elections and rural representation dot the highway. A local man recently led a one-person protest in front of City Hall, while more than 150 others showed up at a rally to reject what they see as a scheme by Democrats to take away their voices.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Republican<\/p>\n

Republican Assembly member Carl DeMaio, center rear, speaks to people attending a No on Prop 50 rally in Redding, Calif., Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025. (AP Photo\/Godofredo A. V\u00e1squez)<\/p>\n

Republican Assembly member Carl DeMaio, center rear, speaks to people attending a No on Prop 50 rally in Redding, Calif., Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025. (AP Photo\/Godofredo A. V\u00e1squez)<\/p>\n

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But they face an uphill battle in the state where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans by nearly 2-to-1. Democrats have returned nearly twice as many ballots. Labor unions and other Democratic allies have mobilized hundreds of volunteers to reach voters in solidly blue areas like Los Angeles with millions of voters. Two weeks before Election Day, just about 7,000 ballots had been returned in Shasta County, county clerk Clint Curtis said. He expects lower turnout than normal.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Shasta<\/p>\n

Shasta County election workers sort through mail-in ballots inside an elections office in Redding, Calif., Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025. (AP Photo\/Godofredo A. V\u00e1squez)<\/p>\n

Shasta County election workers sort through mail-in ballots inside an elections office in Redding, Calif., Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025. (AP Photo\/Godofredo A. V\u00e1squez)<\/p>\n

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TV advertising opposing the measure \u2014 a key investment in the sprawling state \u2014 has largely dried up<\/a>. Some residents in Redding say they\u2019ve heard little from Republican Rep. Doug LaMalfa about a plan to fight the measure, though he\u2019s scheduled an event Wednesday in another city in his district.<\/p>\n

Rural strongholds brace for political change<\/p>\n

Under the new maps, voters in Shasta, Siskiyou and Modoc counties \u2014 all conservative strongholds in the rural north \u2014 would be in the same congressional district with Marin County, which sits just across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Shasta<\/p>\n

Shasta Dam is photographed Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025, in Shasta Lake, Calif. (AP Photo\/Godofredo A. V\u00e1squez)<\/p>\n

Shasta Dam is photographed Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025, in Shasta Lake, Calif. (AP Photo\/Godofredo A. V\u00e1squez)<\/p>\n

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LaMalfa\u2019s current district includes farms that grow rice, olive and other tree nuts, and ranching is prevalent in the farthest northern reaches. Lassen National Volcanic Park, historic Shasta Dam and snow-capped Mt. Shasta are defining features. Redding has a population under 100,000. Distrust of government and belief in election conspiracies<\/a> are common. In 2024, 67% of voters in Shasta County supported Trump.<\/p>\n

Marin County, meanwhile, went 80% for Democrat Kamala Harris. The median household income tops $140,000 \u2014 roughly double that of Shasta County. It\u2019s part of a district that runs north up the Pacific coastline to Oregon and is known for redwood forests, wine production and cannabis farms. It\u2019s represented by Democratic Rep. Jared Huffman. <\/p>\n

LaMalfa, a rice farmer, opposes the proposition and has spent at least $63,000 from his campaign fund to reach voters through text messages and yard signs. He also gave $50,000 to a statewide \u201cno\u201d campaign<\/a>. Brenda Haynes, who works in LaMalfa\u2019s district office, said the congressman has joined residents waving flags on highway overpasses. His campaign declined a request for a reporter to shadow him on the trail.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Brenda<\/p>\n

Brenda Haynes wears earrings to show her support of President Donald Trump during a No on Prop 50 rally, Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025, in Redding, Calif. (AP Photo\/Godofredo A. V\u00e1squez)<\/p>\n

Brenda Haynes wears earrings to show her support of President Donald Trump during a No on Prop 50 rally, Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025, in Redding, Calif. (AP Photo\/Godofredo A. V\u00e1squez)<\/p>\n

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\u201cI think he\u2019s done phone calls and stuff, but I haven\u2019t really heard from him,\u201d said Toby Ruiz, a retired state worker who\u2019s lived in the area for most of his life.<\/p>\n

LaMalfa\u2019s supporters say they appreciate his conservative stances and push for an important new water storage project. <\/p>\n

\u201cI pretty much love the guy,\u201d said Bob Braz, a Redding area native who owns a bait shop. \u201cI stand for almost all the things that he\u2019s done.\u201d<\/p>\n

Those who don\u2019t know much about LaMalfa\u2019s record said they trust him because of his background.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t hear much about him but he\u2019s a farmer,\u201d said Liz Jacobs, who moved from the Bay Area to Redding 20 years ago. She added: \u201cI don\u2019t know about somebody from the Bay Area with their progressive ideas.\u201d<\/p>\n

Newsom and other Democrats say the measure is a tool to fight Trump\u2019s agenda and counter Republican efforts to pickup seats elsewhere. Even if it passes and Democrats win five more seats, it may not help the party retain the House. Republicans in Missouri<\/a>, North Carolina<\/a> and Indiana<\/a> are joining Texas in trying to draw more winnable seats in the 2026 midterms. Lawmakers in Virginia<\/a>, meanwhile, are back in session to work on a map more friendly to Democrats. All of the efforts are sure to face legal challenges.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is not the fight we want to fight. This was not our battle,\u201d Newsom said in a recent virtual campaign event. \u201cThis is in reaction to something unprecedented that happened.\u201d<\/p>\n

But voters in Redding see it as another way to silence their voices.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A woman, left, runs on a sidewalk in Sausalito, Calif., as the San Francisco skyline is seen in the background, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025. (AP Photo\/Godofredo A. V\u00e1squez)<\/p>\n

A woman, left, runs on a sidewalk in Sausalito, Calif., as the San Francisco skyline is seen in the background, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025. (AP Photo\/Godofredo A. V\u00e1squez)<\/p>\n

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They have long felt neglected by the Democratic-controlled Legislature in Sacramento, which they blame for raising the cost of living and infringing on local control. Lawmakers, for example, banned counties from hand-counting ballots<\/a> in most cases after Shasta County leaders voted to get rid of their vote-counting machines in 2023. <\/p>\n

Some said they worry that national Republicans won\u2019t put up a fight to hold the seats if the measure passes.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou would have to spend a huge amount of money to reach your base,\u201d said Jones, the former county supervisor. \u201cAnd they\u2019re just simply not going to want to waste that amount of money because it would be better spent throughout the country elsewhere.\u201d<\/p>\n

Voters are divided<\/p>\n

Not all voters are dreading a change. <\/p>\n

Warren Swanson, a Redding resident of more than 40 years, called LaMalfa \u201cDo Nothing Doug.\u201d His wife, Tara Swanson, also voted \u201cyes\u201d on the measure, partly because it promises to give map-drawing power back to the independent commission after the 2030 Census.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo two wrongs make a right? It\u2019s a tough one for those of us who think along those lines,\u201d Tara Swanson said. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Patrick<\/p>\n

Patrick Jones, a former Shasta County supervisor, stands behind the counter at his family\u2019s gun shop in Redding, Calif., Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025. (AP Photo\/Godofredo A. V\u00e1squez)<\/p>\n

Patrick Jones, a former Shasta County supervisor, stands behind the counter at his family\u2019s gun shop in Redding, Calif., Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025. (AP Photo\/Godofredo A. V\u00e1squez)<\/p>\n

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Some liberal voters in Mt. Shasta in Siskiyou County are hoping to oust LaMalfa over his vote for Trump\u2019s sweeping tax and spending bill<\/a> that will overhaul health care and food assistance programs. Mothers, families and older adults in town could go hungry because of changes to food assistance programs,<\/a> said Colleen Shelly, a Mt. Shasta resident who works with the state food assistance program.<\/p>\n

But the fight is far from over for Republican voters in California, said Walter Stephen Rubke, a 38-year-old who moved to Redding last year. Many young people<\/a> are supporting conservatives, he said, and he expects continual resistance from GOP voters even if the measure passes. <\/p>\n

\u201cI see a hard path ahead,\u201d he said. \u201cBut I feel confident. I feel hopeful.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"REDDING, Calif. (AP) \u2014 In a stretch of Northern California known for farming, ranching and a rural way…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":27617,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[20831,20829,7,9,8,6356,20830,20828,536,15617,989,457,18,9394,20832,47,974,20833,13,1310,991,121,20824,20827,6140,17,6141,6139,1710,20825,20826,9111],"class_list":["post-27616","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-california","tag-bob-braz","tag-brenda-haynes","tag-california","tag-california-headlines","tag-california-news","tag-clint-curtis","tag-colleen-shelly","tag-conservatism","tag-donald-trump","tag-doug-lamalfa","tag-elections","tag-gavin-newsom","tag-general-news","tag-kamala-harris","tag-liz-jacobs","tag-los-angeles","tag-national","tag-patrick-jones","tag-politics","tag-redding","tag-redistricting","tag-sacramento","tag-tara-swanson","tag-toby-ruiz","tag-u-s-democratic-party","tag-u-s-news","tag-u-s-republican-party","tag-united-states-house-of-representatives","tag-voting","tag-walter-stephen-rubke","tag-warren-swanson","tag-washington-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27616","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27616"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27616\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27617"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27616"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27616"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27616"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}