California voters are being asked this November to sign off on what Democrats are calling a defense against President Donald Trump—but what critics are calling exactly what it looks like: a blatant, mid-decade redistricting power grab by Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) and his party allies.
Proposition 50 would toss out the state’s existing congressional map—drawn by an independent commission with voter approval—and replace it with a Democrat-engineered plan that conveniently boosts their odds in the 2026 midterms. The new map is tailored to shore up vulnerable Democrat seats and flip as many as five Republican-held districts. And if passed, it would remain in place through the 2030 elections.
It is important to note that California isn’t due for a new map until after the 2030 census. The current boundaries were intended to remain in place, unless subject to court-ordered changes. But with Democrats only three seats away from taking back the U.S. House—and Trump in the White House again—they’re rewriting the rules mid-game.
Newsom has already signed off on the Legislature’s plan to put the measure before voters, and his allies have lined up tens of millions to sell it as a patriotic duty. So far, the campaign has raised at least $12 million, with additional funds expected to be raised. Significant funding has come from the usual suspects: teachers’ unions, labor groups, and left-wing super PACs, such as the House Majority PAC. Newsom even chipped in $2 million from his own stash, while donors from California’s tech and entertainment elite—names like Paul Graham and John Pritzker—are helping bankroll the effort.
Recommended
They claim that Trump is trying to “rig elections” and won’t leave office after his second term.
“Wake up, we’re losing this country in real time,” Newsom warned, claiming this redistricting scheme is necessary to defend democracy itself.
But Republicans and independent watchdogs aren’t buying it. Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and former state GOP chair Jessica Millan Patterson are leading a group called “Stop Sacramento’s Power Grab,” which is fighting to expose Proposition 50 for what it is—an end-run around voters and the independent redistricting process they approved.
Another opposition group, “Protect Voters First,” is backed by Charles Munger Jr., a major donor and key figure in the creation of California’s independent commission. He has already invested $20 million in fighting the measure and may spend more. Former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger—who championed the nonpartisan map-making process in the first place—is also voicing his opposition, calling out what he sees as a betrayal of voter trust.
Even some on the left and good-government groups like the League of Women Voters are raising concerns about the timing and motives behind the plan. Mailers hitting mailboxes this week point out the obvious: if the roles were reversed, Democrats would be screaming “authoritarianism.”
Democrats are trying to lock in power for the next decade under the banner of “saving democracy,” while bypassing the very system voters put in place to prevent this kind of manipulation.
If passed, this partisan redraw would override the existing map and sideline the independent commission until after the 2030 elections—handing Newsom and the Legislature direct control over congressional boundaries during the second half of Trump’s presidency.
The stakes are high, and both sides are preparing for a political brawl expected to exceed $100 million.
Editor’s Note: Do you enjoy Townhall's conservative reporting that takes on the radical left and woke media? Support our work so that we can continue to bring you the truth.
Join Townhall VIP and use the promo code FIGHT to get 60% off your VIP membership!
Join the conversation as a VIP Member