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CHICO, California – Statewide voting began this week. early elections it would dramatically change California's congressional map. Proposition 50, or Proposition 50, could add up to five Democratic-held congressional seats by the 2026 midterm elections.
Mera asks California voters Temporarily allow the Legislature to determine the state's redistricting map until 2030, at which point power would revert to the independent California Citizens' Redistricting Commission. If Proposition 50 wins, Republicans could end up with just four statewide seats after 2026.
Recent polls indicate that Proposition 50 is likely to pass. Gov. Gavin Newsom and California Democrats say Proposition 50 is a necessary countermeasure to Republican-led redistricting efforts in Texas.
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Entrance to California State University, Chico. (Amalia Roy)
However, UC Davis professor Jim Adams warned that a Democratic victory could have negative consequences in the short term. long term consequences.
“I think even if Proposition 50 does help Democrats pick up a few extra seats in California, by winning the battle in California, Democrats could set themselves up to lose the war nationally,” Adams told Fox.
Adams, a Democrat, said he agrees with Proposition 50 supporters that he wants something done to curb Republican redistricting efforts in other parts of the country.
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“Of course, Democrats are viscerally pleased that Proposition 50 is helping them fight back. I have no doubt that Democrats need to fight back. The question is whether they are fighting Proposition 50 smartly,” he added.
Proposition 50 could cause a political backlash not only among California Republicans or independents in 2026, but also nationally during the 2028 presidential election.
If Proposition 50 passes, northern California counties risk going from overwhelmingly red to solidly blue after the midterm elections.
Downtown Chico, California. (Amalia Roy)
Chico, California is in the Republican-controlled District 1, which is represented by Rep. Doug LaMalfa. It's one of the districts targeted by Proposition 50. The proposed map would likely flip the district, attracting voters from the more Democratic-leaning Bay Area.
In 2024 President Donald Trump won Butte County by about 3,000 votes over then-Vice President Kamala Harris. On the streets of downtown Chico, that political divide was on display when voters were asked what they thought about Proposition 50.
Don Tharman and Martin Bettencourt said they support the proposal, adding that it is a reaction to Trump's presidency.
“We agree with Gavin Newsom that Trump is trying to influence the results of the House elections. He supposedly got five votes in Texas. We'll see how the voting goes when we get to the elections. But yeah, we're not Trump fans. I think Gavin Newsom is trying to fight back a little bit,” Tharman said.
Betancourt said he doesn't typically support redistricting, but these are “different times.”
“I don’t like redistricting. I think it's mean to voters. I think they're taking power away from them because they're moving it around and adjusting it,” he said. “I think we live in different times, so we react to the top of the list, which is the president, and we have to do what we have to do to compensate for that until we have someone better in a position of power.”
Ballot drop box outside the Butte County Library, Chico Branch. (Amalia Roy)
Jim Henderson and Eleanor Engelbrecht are among those who disagree with the proposal, both saying California redistricting is not an ideal response to the Texas effort.
“When they say they're doing it in Iowa, then we have to get Oregon to do the same thing, and the next thing you know, it's rigged? Unfortunately, the governor of Texas has not acknowledged that this is not the appropriate way to conduct an election, but he has made his decision and I don't think we should feel obligated to say, well, if you're going to do it, we'll do it too,” Henderson said.
Engelbrecht said the country is going through enough change that things just need to be “settled.”
“We're already going through a lot of change right now, and I don't think this is a time where we need to, I don't know, really dust off and clean up. I think we really need to let things work themselves out. I think there's already a big divide where our country is right now, and I think what it really comes down to is protecting the integrity of elections,” she said.
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If Proposition 50 passes, there will likely be a legal battle. California Republicans are already filing lawsuits against the measure.
