California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s costly Prop 50 vanity project coasted to victory Tuesday, paving the way for Democrats to flip five crucial congressional seats in the 2026 midterms.
The Associated Press called the results promptly at 8 p.m. local time, right when polls closed, with more than 64% — or 4.4 million voters — saying yes to the measure, compared to 35% who voted against it.
The partisan measure, spearheaded by Newsom, was introduced by the Democratic-led Legislature in direct response to GOP-driven redistricting in Texas that also aims at gaining five additional congressional seats.
The possibility of losing five seats would be a major blow for California Republicans, who currently hold only nine of the state’s 52 congressional seats.
Tuesday’s tit-for-tat special election has been highly publicized and criticized for its cost, as it’s estimated to cost taxpayers over $200 million, at a time when the state is already under great fiscal pressure.
Cost aside, Newsom still got plenty of support for Prop 50 from his famous Dem friends. Former President Barack Obama and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez both appeared on ad campaigns pushing the initiative to the state’s nearly 40 million people. Former Vice President Kamala Harris also pushed Prop 50.
“Republicans want to steal enough seats in Congress to rig the next election and wield unchecked power for two more years,” Obama said in one ad. “You can stop Republicans in their tracks.”
Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger railed against Prop 50, telling CNN’s Jake Tapper, “Texas started it. They did something terribly wrong. And then all of a sudden, California says, ‘Well, then we have to do something terribly wrong.’ And then now other states are jumping in.”
The former “Governator” said Prop 50 would “take the power away from the people.”
The drawing of electoral maps within the state is now in the hands of the California Legislature, suspending an independent body — the California Citizens Redistricting Commission (CRC) — until after the 2030 US Census.
The newly proposed lines will edge out conservative-leaning districts in the north and south of the state, and split more cities and counties among three or more districts in contrast to only two.
Opponents of the redistricting argue fairness when it comes to representation in minority communities, but the new map won’t jeopardize minority votes, according to an analysis by the Public Policy Institute of California.
The maps may aid in flipping Democratic seats in the House come the 2026 midterms and complicate President Trump’s Republican agenda moving forward. Dems need to gain three seats in the midterms to take control of the House.
This is a political win for Newsom, who staunchly backed the proposition as a flex to go toe to toe with Trump amid speculation that he’s eyeing a 2028 presidential bid.
