Proposition 50 was passed in California. Here’s what you missed

from Jeanne Kuang and Maya S. MillerCalMatters

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California voters on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved Gov. Gavin Newsom’s measure it allowed the state to redraw its congressional map in favor of Democrats, fending off President Donald Trump’s efforts to retain a Republican-controlled Congress by pushing for redistricting in Texas.

Tuesday ended a whirlwind, hyperpartisan two-and-a-half-month campaign for one of the most expensive ballot measures in state history. Supporters poured more than $120 million into Newsom’s committee supporting the measure. Opponents raised just $44 million. Outside groups spent $27 million to try to sway the vote.

Here’s what you missed.

Newsom declares victory

In a triumphant speech, Newsom announced that the victory of Prop. 50 is not just a victory for California, but a victory for the entire country. He urged leaders in other Democratic-held states — Illinois, Virginia, Maryland and New York — to “seize the moment” and redraw their congressional districts as well.

“Instead of agonizing over the state of our nation, we organized in an unprecedented way,” Newsom said. “I’m proud tonight. But I’m very careful and sober about the moment we live in. Donald Trump doesn’t believe in fair and free elections, period.”

Prop. The 1950s marked a significant victory for the governor who took a political risk on the measurefiguring it would give the state’s Democratic voters disillusioned with the Trump administration a way to “fight back.”

Although opponents criticized him for using the measure to boost his national profile, Newsom’s efforts were joined by a host of liberal groups who argued that helping Democrats win the House could counter the administration’s aggressive immigration crackdown, cuts to social services and the erosion of democratic norms.

Republicans vowed to continue challenging Democrats statewide and said the election was distracting from issues like the cost of living.

“Even with this new map, Republicans have clear opportunities to flip seats because Californians are fed up with Democratic chaos,” National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Richard Hudson said in a statement.

What this means for incumbent Republicans

Five GOP members of Congress now face strong chances for re-election and are more likely to lose their seats after next year’s midterms:

• Rocklin Rep. Kevin Kiley confirmed Tuesday night that he will run for re-election despite his 3rd district becoming more liberal: “Politicians can change map lines, but they can’t tell you how to vote.”
• Chico Rep. Doug LaMalfa, whose first district in California’s vastly rural northeast corner will lose several conservative counties and gain liberal Santa Rosa, also said he will run again.
• Corona Rep. Ken Calvert will have to decide whether to run in a primary against a fellow Republican after his Riverside County district completely shifted. Instead, he will be in the safe Republican 40th District, held by Rep. Young Kim.
• Hanford Rep. David Valadao’s district in the south Central Valley will become slightly more Democratic and stretch closer to Fresno. The competition can still be competitive; the Republican retained his seat despite the Democratic registration advantage.
• Escondido Rep. Darrell Issa’s east San Diego County district will lose conservative pockets and gain liberal voters in the Coachella Valley. He said Tuesday night that he was “not going to give up.”

What this means for Democrats

Five Democratic House incumbents have see their neighborhoods become safer under Proposition 50:

• Congressman Josh Harder, a Democrat from Stockton, was swept into Congress in the 2018 Democratic wave, and he retained his Stockton seat despite being a persistent Republican target.
• Rep. Adam Gray of Turlock had the closest House 2024 race in the country. With more Democratic voters from Stockton, it will be much easier for him to hold onto the seat next year.
• Congressman George Whitesides of Santa Clarita represents the northern suburbs of Los Angeles in the 27th District, which have gradually become more liberal. His new seat brings more Democratic voters from the San Fernando Valley.
• Rep. Derek Tran of Cypress should have an easier time defending his seat in the heavily Asian 45th District, which covers Orange and Los Angeles counties.
• Rep. Dave Min of Costa Mesa won his 47th District seat by less than three percentage points last November. The new map shifts his area from Huntington Beach and Newport Beach.

While many Democrats ran assuming the new maps will be implemented, a few are ready to switch areas now:

• Sacramento County Rep. Ami Berra will switch from the 6th District to challenge Kylie in the 3rd District.
• in turn Dr. Richard Pana prominent former state senator who had already announced a challenge against Kylie said he would now run in the 6th District.
• Two candidates challenging Calvert in his current district — Brandon Ricker and Anuj Dixit — said they would instead challenge Issa in the newly drawn 48th District.

Trump threatens ‘legal and criminal’ review

Trump threatened Tuesday to challenge the results of California’s mail-in vote, claiming without evidence that it was fraudulent — even before any results were in.

The president said there would be a “very serious legal and criminal review” of the state’s use of universal mail-in ballots. White House spokeswoman Carolyn Leavitt later said Trump was working on an executive order to strengthen elections and ensure there was no “clear fraud” in California’s universal mail-in ballots.

About 7 million Californians had already voted by Election Day, 4.6 million of whom mailed in their ballots. Another 2.3 million cast a ballot they received by mail, in a ballot box or at a polling station. For more than a decade, the majority of voters in California elections have participated by mail. Voter fraud is extremely rare and studies show it there is no evidence that postal voting increases fraud.

This article was originally published on CalMatters and is republished under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivatives license.