California voters approved Proposition 50 on November 4 by roughly 64% to 36%, temporarily replacing commission-drawn congressional districts with a legislature-drawn map through 2030 — a move Democrats say counters GOP mid‑decade redistricting in states like Texas and could net them up to five House seats in 2026.
California voters have approved Proposition 50, a constitutional amendment advanced by Gov. Gavin Newsom and Democratic lawmakers that directs the state to use legislature‑drawn congressional maps through 2030, before the independent Citizens Redistricting Commission resumes its role after the 2030 census. Unofficial tallies as of Wednesday showed support at about 63.8%–64%. The Secretary of State describes Prop. 50 as a temporary response to Texas’ mid‑decade redistricting, with California returning to independent map‑drawing in the next decade. (sfgate.com)
Backers say the new map could help Democrats flip as many as five U.S. House seats next year. That expectation — widely reported by national and state outlets — frames the measure as a direct counter to Republican moves in other states. (apnews.com)
The new lines have already reshaped races in Southern California. Rep. Ken Calvert (R) said he will run in the redrawn 40th District — currently represented by fellow Republican Rep. Young Kim — after his present 41st District shifted left under the new map. Kim has said she will seek reelection, setting up a likely GOP matchup in the 40th. (nbclosangeles.com)
Prop. 50 passed amid a broader, highly unusual wave of mid‑decade redistricting. In Texas, Republicans approved a map designed to add five GOP‑leaning seats, a push explicitly backed by President Donald Trump. North Carolina lawmakers adopted a plan expected to yield one additional Republican seat, while Ohio’s bipartisan redistricting commission approved a map that improves GOP odds in two more seats. Missouri Republicans have pursued a special‑session redraw aimed at gaining one. (apnews.com)
Trump and his allies have also pressed for action elsewhere. Vice President JD Vance has repeatedly met with Indiana officials about a potential mid‑cycle redraw; Kansas Republicans weighed but ultimately shelved a 2025 special session targeting Rep. Sharice Davids’ district; and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has floated a mid‑decade redo even as polling shows little public appetite for it. (pbs.org)
Former President Barack Obama publicly endorsed Prop. 50 and recorded an ad urging Californians to support it. In a call with volunteers, he said: “The essence of Prop. 50 is to say that if you are going to play that game, then we are going to try to counteract that abuse of the system.” (politico.com)
The measure’s passage triggered swift legal challenges. On November 5, the California Republican Party and allied plaintiffs filed a federal lawsuit alleging the legislature‑drawn map is an unconstitutional racial gerrymander, arguing it improperly prioritizes Latino voting power. The Newsom administration says the maps comply with law and will withstand court scrutiny. (apnews.com)
Separately, a pending U.S. Supreme Court case from Louisiana (Louisiana v. Callais) could narrow how courts apply Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act to redistricting — a ruling that election lawyers say could reverberate across the South and beyond ahead of 2026. (reuters.com)
California officials say counties have until December 4 to finalize canvasses; the Secretary of State expects to certify statewide results by December 12. Regardless of certification timing, Prop. 50 underscores an accelerating national fight over maps that is unfolding outside the usual post‑census cycle. (sos.ca.gov)
