By Geneva Huang
News Editor
Out of fear that the Trump admin- istration’s sinking approval ratings could allow for Democrats to gain seats during the 2026 midterm elec- tions, the president pressured Texas Republicans in redrawing their state’s congressional lines, eliminat- ing five Democratically-held seats. Other conservative states have fol- lowed suit, and California is the first state to take action in direct opposi- tion. California is fighting back with their own gerrymandering efforts, the practice of manipulating elec- toral district boundaries in favor of a certain party. Proposition 50 dis- misses California’s independent re- districting commission and adopts partisan maps for the next three elec- tion cycles, suspending maps drawn by independent commissions until 2030. “I don’t really like the California government’s decision to redistrict right now, even in retaliation to Texas,” said Mira Costa Political Review Club President Reese Stringer. “An action taken by Texas does not give the California govern- ment the right to violate something previously voted on by the people of California.” California Governor Gavin New- som pledges to offset Republican gains in Congress by adding five Democratic seats in California. He announced the redistricting effort in a post on X on Aug. 14 to “defend fair representation.” “Many seniors in high school will be able to vote this November,” said Stringer. “It is important for them to be updated on the news and to actually understand policies for themselves.” Currently, California relies on an independent bipartisan body, known as the California Citizens Redistrict- ing Commission, to draw congres- sional maps. Hence, Newsom must gain ap- proval from Califor- nia voters under the only proposition on the state’s ballot this November: Prop 50. “There has already been an independent organization tasked with redistrict- ing after the census, so I do not think the actual government should be involved here,” Stringer said. Voting “YES” gives Democrats a potential ad- vantage in the House to counter redistricting ef- forts in other R e p u b l i c a n states. Voting “NO” keeps California’s current con- gressional districts, giving Republicans a greater ad- vantage in the House. “If Texas did it, California should too,” Costa Junior Ava Panah said. “It’s only fair and will counteract the redistricting found elsewhere.” The proposed map would likely seat new Democrats into five swing districts and leave as few as four Re- publicans among California’s 52 House seats. Republicans only make up a quarter of the California elec- torate, many of whom are rural Cali- fornians who don’t want their votes to be diluted by new maps that draw them into urban areas. Manhattan Beach currently re- sides in California’s 36th Con- gressional District (CD-36) along with Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, and El Segundo. Prop 50 has the potential to lump conservative counties with demo- cratic ones. However, unlike other districts, it will not pose sig- nificant changes to CD-36. “I’m glad that Newsom is fighting back,” Panah said. “Gerrymandering isn’t great in general, but Newsom needed to take a stand against the manipulation found in the other states.” This “tit-for-tat” fight with Texas is one of the most expensive ballot measures in recent state history. As of Oct. 8, over $140 million has been raised: nearly $99 million in support and $40 million against. Cost aside, a defeat for Newsom would deal a major blow to his career, especially given the speculation over his run for presidency in 2028. Concerns for voter turnout in the Valley can be directly attributed to the substantial fears of I.C.E. raids. Coinciding with the recent Supreme Court decision allowing racial pro- filing in immigrant targets, Latino communities are choosing to stay home according to Maria Pacheco, mayor of Kerman, a city of 17,000 in Fresno County. “There will always be partisan in pushing policies that favor whatever party is in power,” Stringer said. “This absolutely will make the prob- lem of gerrymandering worse.” This Nov. 4 election will be a piv- otal and defining one given the cur- rent tumultuous American political climate, and it reflects the nation’s deep divide within the House. More information on the proposed dis- tricts can be found at https://aelc.as- sembly.ca.gov/proposed-congres- sional-map. “Students who are 18 should vote this election cycle because even though it may not affect us directly, it poses significant changes to our state as a whole,” said Panah.
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