A new set of congressional district lines is in effect Wednesday in California following the overwhelming passage of Proposition 50, but Rep. Ken Calvert said he is “determined to keep fighting for the families I represent in Congress.”
What supporters dubbed “The Election Rigging Response Act,” leads 63.8%-36.2% with all election night precincts partially reporting, according to the Secretary of State’s Office.
Proposition 50 establishes new congressional district maps for the 2026 mid-term elections that will also be used for the 2028 and 2030 elections. An analysis by the election news website Ballotpedia said it would shift five Republican-held congressional districts toward Democrats.
Democrats hold a 43-9 advantage in the state’s House delegation.
The measure came in response to an effort in Texas for a mid-decade congressional redistricting that analysts said would give Republicans five additional seats.
Other Republican-controlled states such as Florida, Ohio, Indiana, Missouri, New Hampshire, Nebraska and South Carolina are also considering efforts to approve mid-decade redistricting.
Backers of the measure say it “draws fair maps that represent California’s diverse communities and ensure our voices aren’t silenced by Republican gerrymandering in other states.”
Opponents say Proposition 50 “creates one of the most extreme partisan gerrymanders in modern American history” and is a “threat to democracy and fair elections in California,” according to the campaign against the measure.
“With the passage of Prop 50, Californians were sold a bill of goods, allowing Gavin Newsom and his radical allies in Sacramento an unprecedented power grab to redraw the congressional map and silence those who disagree with his extreme policies,” Calvert, R-Corona, said in a statement.
“Gerrymandering districts because you don’t like the results of an election is politics at its absolute worst. Governor Newsom pouring millions into this ballot initiative while crime goes unchecked, housing costs skyrocket, and taxes as well as gas prices remain among the highest in the nation shows he’s more interested in protecting his party’s stranglehold on the state than delivering on the issues families face. ”
Proposition 50 would increase Democratic registration in the 41st Congressional District Calvert represents by adding Downey, Norwalk, Whittier and Lakewood in Los Angeles County.
Supporters called Proposition 50 a way to check President Donald Trump and increase Democrats’ chances of regaining control of the House of Representatives.
“Tonight, California voters stood up to Donald Trump, rejecting his attempt to steal elections in states like Texas, Florida, and Ohio,” Rep. Dave Min, D-Irvine, said in a statement.
“The maps created by Proposition 50 are a direct response to Donald Trump’s unprecedented power grab.”