Proposition 50, which could position Democrats to gain five congressional seats, was the only item on Californian’s ballots during the Nov. 4 special election.
SACRAMENTO, Calif.—Californians approved a ballot measure to redraw the state’s Congressional map that could give Democrats five additional seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Voters in Northern California said they were eager to make their voices heard.
“This is my time to fight for what I believe in,” Sarah Miller, a nurse living in the Bay Area, said after dropping her ballot in a collection box.
“If we don’t do something now, democracy is at stake. We are responsible for what happens in the future.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom called the moment “California’s chance to save democracy” during a litany of media appearances and campaign rallies in the days leading up to the election.
“At the end of the day, it’s about the future of our country,” Newsom said during a Yes on 50 rally in Los Angeles on Nov. 1.
The governor, a Democrat, suggested the election would buoy party members across the country following a solid defeat in the most recent presidential contest.
“A year from now, what this is all about is Democrats getting back on our toes, not on our heels, getting our mojo back,” Newsom said.
The governor joined state Democrats to enact a legislative package, dubbed the End Election Rigging Act, in August after Republican-led Texas went forward with plans to redraw its maps.
During the rally, Newsom conveyed confidence that the measure would pass, telling potential financial donors to save their money for other races after prior donations exceeded expectations.
While Newsom and some supporters said California is balancing the Lone Star State’s redistricting efforts, one Republican state senator said the legislative gerrymandering contest favors his party from a national perspective.
“If Prop 50 passes, it becomes a rally cry nationally,” state Sen. Tony Strickland told The Epoch Times Nov. 4. “I think it backfires on the governor. Really, the biggest winner tonight will be [President] Donald Trump.”
Because Republicans control more states nationwide, he estimated the Grand Old Party would net between 25 and 30 additional Congressional seats if redistricting efforts are maximized.
Near-term consequences of redistricting would include the “trampling of rural voices,” which will be diluted by the new map, he said. Some residents would need to drive 300 miles to visit a representative’s office if the new maps take effect, according to Strickland.
He accused Newsom of spending $125 million to “mislead the voters of California.”
Some voters expressed concern that the proposition, if passed, would temporarily bypass the nonpartisan California Citizens Redistricting Commission.
