Show Notes
This week, California voters overwhelmingly approved ignoring their own state constitution. But just “temporarily.” Proposition 50 and was urged by the state’s Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom. On the newest episode of the On Background podcast, Susan Crabtree and Eric Eggers unpack this radical move.
Under California’s constitution, congressional district lines are normally drawn by the Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission which, as Crabtree notes, “California voted on and twice approved” previously. With this vote, she says, “they are basically taking that away and putting it back in the hands of politicians like Gavin Newsom and trusting the politicians now.”
Goaded by Newsom, who has presidential ambitions for 2028, California voters approved an amendment dubbed the “Election Rigging Response Act.” This amends Article XXI of the California Constitution, which governs redistricting, and “temporarily” override the normal commission process. This allows a new congressional district map to be drawn up by the Democratic-controlled state legislature that will set new district lines for the 2026, 2028, and 2030 congressional elections.
California is often listed as among the most gerrymandered states in the nation. Of its 52 House seats, 83% are held by Democrats now (43-9). For context, the Democratic presidential candidate won 59% of the state’s vote in 2024, which leaves a 24-point gap between the party’s state partisan advantage and its advantage in House seats. The now-approved, redrawn map will likely net the Democrats even more.
“There are nine Republican districts in California, out of 52. So, there’s going to be a shift of four to six,” Crabtree says. “Out of 52 seats, Republicans will hold three.”
Crabtree believes this will disenfranchise millions of California Republicans and give Newsom momentum toward a 2028 presidential bid despite his poor record as governor on crime, homelessness, and cost of living.
The hosts’ discussion broadens to national implications of the elections just held. Democrats scored expected wins in Virginia, New Jersey, and New York City, but with very large margins that most observers say means trouble for Republicans in the mid-term elections next year. They also discuss shifting Hispanic voter trends under President Donald Trump, and close with insight into GOP’s own redistricting strategy, internal debates over immigration enforcement, and tensions between ICE and Customs and Border Protection amid concerns about losing Latino support.
