Editor’s Note: Titled the Legislative Congressional Redistricting Map Amendment, Proposition 50 is a special and unprecedented election to be held on November 4, 2025. California has an independent Citizens Redistricting Commission that draws congressional districts authorized by a state constitutional amendment that took drawing district lines away from the state legislature. Yet, Governor Newsom is asking that California voters temporarily (one time) suspend the state’s constitutional amendment in order to allow the Democrat controlled state legislature to redraw targeted Republican held districts. This is being done so as to offset President Trump’s request to Texas Governor Abbott to “find him 5 seats,” and thus would prevent a nationwide Republican majority.
No matter the results of California’s November 4th special ballot measure– whether Proposition 50 wins or loses — Americans are still left without a true champion for their cause. As of this moment, neither Republicans nor Democrats can lay claim to championing the needs of Americans. We should expect real advocacy from our leaders and not just excuses and laments that Democrats are in the minority, and lame promises to just wait until the 2026 elections.
The cause for the American people is to have a democratic, peaceful America where human rights are respected, and basic human needs are acknowledged and taken care of, and where elected officials actually prioritize people’s needs over those of billionaires and corporations. Regardless of whether you live in a red state or a blue one, or a redistricted congressional district for that matter–we all have the same needs such as affordable housing, decent education for our youth, public safety (including from gun violence), affordable health care, safe and affordable food, sustainable infrastructure, and a clean environment.
A yes vote on Proposition 50 is a vote against Trump. That is true. And it does matter. It matters because of what he is doing to America and democracy. The redistricting brazenly encouraged in red states such as Texas goes along with other efforts to limit voting such as ending mail in ballots and other voter suppression measures. However, a yes vote on Proposition 50 should also mean going against the increasingly authoritarian control of our government, the establishment of a military/police state, the abdication of our freedoms, and scapegoating of our friends and neighbors.
Proposition 50 was placed on the California ballot in a special election intended to offset the Texas legislature’s decision to gerrymander by redrawing Congressional districts in Texas. The targeted districts in Texas are currently Democrat held, and with the Texas legislature’s redistricting, Republicans can win up to 5 congressional seats more. Trump asked Texas Governor Abbot to do so after concern that Trump might lose control of the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2026 midterm elections. Trump’s worry was over the widespread unpopularity of HR1, his so-called “Big Beautiful Bill,” which slashes Medicaid coverage and food stamp programs for millions of U.S. born Americans. HR1 gives the money over to Homeland Security, ICE, private detention centers/prisons, as well as giving even more tax breaks to billionaires. In backroom deals after Speaker Johnson delayed the vote on the Bill in order to give Trump more time to twist arms and to convince Republican legislators worried about their reelection chances in 2026, Trump shamelessly promised to delay implementation of the worst of the cuts in services until after the 2026 election.
The Texas legislature ultimately approved the redistricting plan, despite its taking place off track from the usual 10 year cycle of the U.S. census, the last of which took place in 2020, and is not due until 2030. There was a highly publicized delay in the Texas legislature’s ability to vote on the redistricting due to a “boycott” by Texas Democrats, which affected quorum for the legislature to take action. The Texas Democrats left the state in an attempt to prevent or delay the vote, but were ultimately forced to return under threat of reprisals.
A note on the 1965 Voting Rights Act The weakening of the 1965 Voting Rights Act made it much easier for states to implement racially and politically biased gerrymandering, though not just racial minorities are seeing the harmful results of that roll back. And the passage of Citizens United made it much easier for deep pockets such as Elon Musk to buy elections, a consequence we saw first hand in the 2024 elections and with DOGE (Dept. of Government Efficiency). Our freedoms and survival depend on putting the present moment in context of what has happened before. As President Trump’s niece Mary Trump says Project 2025 is 47% implemented.
What we do now matters. Proposition 50 is on the ballot in California. But it is not enough to just counter redistricting with redistricting, though at least in California the voters are consulted and asked to approve the measure, unlike in Texas and other Red states where the legislatures can decide it. Certainly, the ballot for proposition 50 includes a section which promotes at the national level impartial and nonpartisan district lines be drawn, but that would happen at the soonest, if ever, in the 2030 census.
Opponents of Proposition 50 include billionaire Charles Munger, who has bankrolled much of the cost for opposition to date, and Arnold Schwarzenegger, former Republican Governor of California. It also includes people legitimately concerned about righting one wrong with another wrong, that is overriding a state constitutional amendment and impartial redistricting. Concern was raised over the cost of $282 million to put the proposition on the ballot for a special election, despite the large state deficit of $20 billion. Others claim Gavin Newsom is campaigning already for President in 2028 and is doing this for national exposure.
Ultimately, the fight has to be taken not only out of the hands of the fascist authoritarians like Trump, but also out of those of the loyal opposition, who similarly utilize populist rhetoric for their purposes. For example, while claiming he is for the common people, Newsom essentially criminalized homelessness despite not having done enough to provide sufficient affordable housing.
Politics is dirty, especially now. Yet, we have to compromise on politics and not on principles. Proposition 50 faces an uphill battle in an off season election cycle and considering that only a third of propositions are successful. Yet, it should be supported. However, the times demand that those who claim to be our leaders actually do their job or get out of the way, whether Proposition 50 succeeds and has any effect on national politics.
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