California voters approved Proposition 50, the redistricting measure driving the special election, the Associated Press and other news outlets called almost immediately after polls closed Tuesday night, Nov. 4.
It wasn’t supposed to be an election year in California. But for the past month, millions of residents voted in a hastily-called special election that is thought to have long-standing implications for the future of Congress — and who controls it.
Related: Will your congressional district change if Prop. 50 passes? Use these maps to find out
Special elections typically see a low voter turnout, but where this one — a high-stakes election with national implications — ranks remains to be seen. Voting began last month, and more than 7 million people had cast ballots by Tuesday afternoon, according to the California secretary of state’s office. More than 23 million vote-by-mail ballots were sent to registered voters in early October.
The special election was only called in late August, giving campaigns only about six weeks to make their cases before voting began, and another month to continue reaching out to voters before Election Day.
Still, in that relatively short period of time, Proposition 50 became one of the most expensive ballot measures in California history that culminated in Tuesday’s election.
A political tit for tat
California voters decided to adopt new, partisan congressional maps to position Democrats to pick up five extra U.S. House seats.
It was a request from Gov. Gavin Newsom and other Democrats, who touted the mid-decade redistricting maneuver as a counter to similar gerrymandering efforts by Republican-led states. At the behest of President Donald Trump — a vociferous critic of California’s redistricting plan — Texas, Missouri and North Carolina have moved forward with gerrymandering plans meant to favor Republicans in congressional races.
Opponents of Proposition 50, meanwhile, accused Sacramento politicians of a power grab and of going against the will of voters who, in 2008, voted to have an independent, nonpartisan commission draw state legislative maps. They would approve a similar measure for drawing congressional districts two years later.
Currently, nine of the state’s 52 congressional districts are represented by Republicans; the rest by Democrats. If Democrats gain five additional House seats next year, that would leave just four districts in California represented by Republicans.
The redistricting proposal changes the congressional maps for the 2026, 2028 and 2030 House races. After that, the state would go back to having an independent commission draw future congressional maps.
Redrawing Southern California
In Southern California, the new maps would dilute — if not outright erase — GOP voters’ influence in Riverside County by splitting up red cities that form the backbone of support for Republican Reps. Ken Calvert and Darrell Issa.
The new maps would obliterate Calvert’s purple district, potentially jeopardizing his three-decade run in Congress. Issa would go from a safe red district to one with a plurality of Democratic voters.
Redistricting also opens the door to a potential Republican-on-Republican showdown in 2026 in what would be the new 40th Congressional District between Calvert and Rep. Young Kim. Redistricting shifts the district more eastward, losing Orange County’s Aliso Viejo and Lake Forest and picking up Menifee, Wildomar and parts of Corona — areas represented by Calvert.
In Los Angeles County, Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Long Beach, would see a dramatic change to the district he represents.
California’s 42nd Congressional District would go from an entirely L.A. County district to one that picks up the more conservative communities along Orange County’s coastline.
Although the district would wind up with more Republican voters, Democrats would still have the advantage. That means Garcia, a liberal, would likely still have a relatively easy time seeking reelection.
The redrawn maps are also thought to be a help to Rep. George Whitesides, a Democrat who represents the competitive 27th District in northern L.A. County and is considered a prime target of Republicans. Under Proposition 50, the gap between registered Democrats and Republicans would widen by another 5%, giving Whitesides more of a cushion if he seeks reelection.
Trump, meanwhile, suggested Tuesday, without evidence, that California’s elections were “rigged.” The president also called the state’s special election an “unconstitutional redistricting vote” in a post on his Truth Social account.
That elicited a response from California Secretary of State Shirley Weber, who called the president’s post “another baseless claim.”
“The bottom line is California elections have been validated by the courts,” said Weber, the state’s elections chief since 2021. “California voters will not be deceived by someone who consistently makes desperate, unsubstantiated attempts to dissuade Americans from participating in our democracy.”
Jeff Horseman and Kaitlyn Schallhorn contributed to this report.