State legislators voted to put Newsom’s redistricting plan on the ballot. If Proposition 50 passes, it would temporarily suspend California’s independent redistricting commission through 2030 – an unprecedented mid-decade redistricting move for a state that typically redraws its lines after the census once every 10 years after the census.
The new map would likely flip five of California’s 52 congressional districts from Republican representation to Democratic. It would also make several existing Democratic seats less competitive by bringing blue-leaning areas like Sonoma and Sacramento counties into more traditionally red areas, like Modoc and Kings counties.
In the final week of campaigning ahead of Election Day, those in favor of Proposition 50 argue that redistricting in the Golden State is a necessary counterpunch to Texas’ gerrymandering — and a way to stand up to President Trump on principle.
Opponents argue that the state’s established citizen redistricting commission should be the one orchestrating this process to keep things nonpartisan.
In collaboration with The California Newsroom and KQED’s The California Report, journalists across the state spoke with residents, business leaders and legislators from each of the five congressional districts that could change under Proposition 50 to understand what’s at stake.
District 3
Quick take: Democratic residents in the blue bubble of Lake Tahoe say it’s time to have one of their own in Washington.
Lake Tahoe is a blue dot in California’s 3rd Congressional District, which covers conservative Placer and El Dorado counties and spans down the Eastern Sierra to Death Valley.
The district has long had a Republican representative in Congress, but this mountainous area that draws outdoor lovers year-round usually votes blue.
Theresa May Duggan, a Democrat known locally as Tee May, has been writing postcards to voters across the state, urging them to support Proposition 50. She’s lived in Tahoe for 48 years and said the region faces a lot of the same challenges as other parts of California that are often overshadowed by issues surrounding Lake Tahoe itself.
“Can you imagine if we had another vote in Congress for things for our community that didn’t involve the lake?” Duggan asked. She wants a representative who will work to boost the region’s housing stock.
Duggan also wants to feel like she’s part of California, the part that reflects her values.
“I know I live in a blue dot. I want to live in a blue district too,” Duggan said.
Duggan could get her wish if Proposition 50 passes. California’s redistricting proposal would shrink the 3rd Congressional District and tie in parts of bluer Sacramento County, making it easier for a Democratic candidate to win the seat, currently held by Republican Kevin Kiley.
Other residents say, regardless of party, they want their representative to pay more attention to the region’s unique challenges, including wildfire prevention, skyrocketing insurance rates, rural health care access and management of federal land.
“I think the cuts to the U.S. Forest Service do not serve this area,” said Truckee Town Councilmember Courtney Henderson. “No matter what the boundary looks like or who that representative is, they have to have deep working knowledge of what happens on the ground and in rural communities and a lot of this district is very rural.”
— Laura Fitzgerald, CapRadio
District 22
Quick Take: Farmers fear losing Republican Rep. David Valadao will put them at the mercy of regulation-crazed Dems; others say the congressman needs to pay the political price for supporting Medicaid cuts.
If Proposition 50 passes, Rep. David Valadao of the Central Valley would be one of five Republicans on the chopping block — and that worries farmers in his district, which comprises a significant portion of California’s rich agricultural belt.
Kings County is one of three agricultural counties that make up District 22, represented by Valadao. Dairy farms, vineyards and crops help make California one of the world’s leading agricultural exporters, bringing in billions of dollars a year and providing tens of thousands of jobs.
It’s a point of pride for Charles Meyer, who grows a cornucopia of crops on his 1,500-acre Stratford farm in Kings County, including wheat, Pima cotton, alfalfa, almonds and pistachios.
“You become attached to the ground,” he said. “It’s like our boys in the military, they give their life for the country. We feel about our ground about like that.”
Meyer wants elected leaders who feel that way, too. Valadao, who used to be a dairy farmer, was first elected to Congress in 2012. But if voters approve Proposition 50 next month, District 22 would stretch out almost twice as long to gain Democratic voters from neighboring counties and give them a better shot at winning.
“I don’t want anything that would help Democrats gain power,” Meyer said.
That’s because California Democrats have pushed a slew of environmental regulations aimed at protecting air, water and ecosystems. They also restrict things like groundwater and fertilizer use.
Meyer calls that regulatory overreach, and he blames Democrats for rising farming costs and slumping profits: “When they gain power, negative things happen,” he said.
It’s a common opinion. Signs reading “Vote No on Prop. 50” line Kings County’s highways, alongside banners to recall Newsom.
Many Democrats, however, support the new map. Karla Orosco, a retired science teacher, was among a dozen people recently holding up signs in favor of Proposition 50 and other Democratic priorities in nearby Lemoore. She’s part of a “bridge brigade” that hangs signs on overpasses throughout Kings County. None of the dozen volunteers canvassing in Lemoore that day was a farmer.
But they said they’re angry that Valadao hasn’t hosted an in-person town hall in more than a year, and that he voted to cut Medicaid — even though he said he wouldn’t, and two-thirds of his constituents rely on it.
“That’s going to hurt a lot of people, and it’s going to wake a lot of people up when the healthcare premiums go up,” Orosco said.
—Kerry Klein, KVPR
District 48
Quick take: In a largely red area of San Diego County, Democrats see Proposition 50 as a way to reach new voters.
In San Diego County, four out of five congressional seats are held by Democrats. But in the more rural northeast part of the county, Republicans have been on a winning streak that has lasted more than two decades.
Republican Darrell Issa, who holds California’s 48th District seat, has represented the area through multiple redistricting cycles. If Proposition 50 passes in November, Issa’s district would become almost unrecognizable, shifting from a double-digit advantage for Republicans to a 10-point lead for Democrats.
But Democratic Party activists say the district already has more liberal-leaning voters than even residents in the area might think.
“When people find out that they actually have Democrats or like-minded people as their neighbors, they’re surprised,” said Andi McNew, who was canvassing in the small city of Poway in favor of Proposition 50. “While the MAGA people are loud with their flags and stuff, it kind of keeps Democrats afraid and scared. And they shouldn’t be scared.”
McNew said this perception leads people — and the Democratic Party — to write these areas off as “red,” and not invest in getting out the vote. But because Proposition 50 is a statewide referendum, every vote counts.
“That’s why it’s so sad to see Democrats give up on these areas and not run … for these local seats, because we can win them,” McNew said.
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