CLOVIS, Calif. (KFSN) — Valley voters are now casting their ballots in California’s special election.<\/p>\n
“From what I’ve seen, it can change how things go per party,” Clovis voter Alex said.<\/p>\n
Proposition 50 would temporarily redistrict the state, allowing partisan lawmakers to draw the lines instead of an independent commission.<\/p>\n
Congressional boundaries would shift everywhere, giving Democrats an upper hand in next year’s midterm elections.<\/p>\n
In the Central Valley, which is home to a third of the state’s Republicans in Congress, the City of Clovis would go from one congressional district to three near the corner of Gettysburg and Sunnyside avenues.<\/p>\n
The Clovis City Council has voted to formally oppose the change.<\/p>\n
“You can’t look at this from just a local perspective,” Lonny Johnson with the Fresno County Democratic Party told Action News.<\/p>\n
He believes the state’s hand was forced after President Trump called on Texas lawmakers to add Republican seats there.<\/p>\n
“We have to have a seat at the table, and we cannot continue to be marginalized by the Trump administration,” Johnson said. “And the only way we can do that is to put a check on the Trump administration, and that’s what Prop 50 is about.”<\/p>\n
In Clovis, Mayor Pro Tem Diane Pearce says Prop 50 would wreak havoc on the city. She authored the council resolution against the ballot measure.<\/p>\n
“We’re going to be split into three districts, and that is the quintessential example of diluting the voice of the voters in Clovis,” Pearce said.<\/p>\n
With the proposed lines splitting one neighborhood into three districts, Pearce fears residents’ voices could be lost.<\/p>\n
“When they have other areas in their district that have a heavier percentage of voters, it just dilutes our voice and our ability to bring our issues forward,” Pearce said.<\/p>\n
But Johnson views it differently.<\/p>\n
“If you have three of them, that means you’re going to have three congressmen or congresswomen who are going to advocate for you,” he said. “If they want to get re-elected, they’re going to be responsible to our needs.”<\/p>\n
For news updates, follow Gabe Ferris on Facebook<\/a>, X<\/a> and Instagram.<\/a><\/p>\n Copyright \u00a9 2025 KFSN-TV. All Rights Reserved.<\/p>\n