Daijiworld Media Network – California
California, Nov 5: In a major political development, California voters have approved a new congressional map drawn by state Democrats, a move projected by NBC News to give the party a chance to gain up to five additional House seats in next year’s midterm elections.
The approval of the ballot measure — Proposition 50, also known as the “Election Rigging Response Act” — allows Democrats to temporarily bypass the state’s independent redistricting commission and implement their own congressional map. The move is seen as an effort to counter Republican-led redistricting efforts in states like Texas, North Carolina, and Missouri, where GOP-controlled legislatures have pushed for partisan gains ahead of the 2026 elections.
Governor Gavin Newsom spearheaded the campaign for Proposition 50, accusing Donald Trump and Republicans of attempting to “rig” the elections through mid-cycle redistricting. In a high-profile ad campaign, supporters said the proposition “levels the playing field” and prevents “Trump’s scheme” to steal congressional seats.
“Donald Trump is out of control, imposing illegal tariffs that hurt our economy and denying disaster aid to California families. Now he’s attempting an unprecedented power grab to steal congressional seats and rig the 2026 election. But we can stop him,” a campaign ad declared.
The ballot battle saw nearly $100 million in spending, with Democrats heavily outspending Republicans in the final weeks. While GOP opposition — backed by former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger — warned that Prop 50 undermines California’s independent citizen-led redistricting reforms, the “No” campaign lost steam toward the end.
California currently has 43 Democratic and 9 Republican representatives in the U.S. House. Analysts say the new map could make re-election harder for GOP lawmakers Doug LaMalfa, Darrell Issa, Ken Calvert, Kevin Kiley, and David Valadao.
Although Republicans have survived tough contests before, the newly redrawn districts are expected to give Democrats a stronger advantage as the nation heads toward another fiercely contested midterm cycle.