Governor Gavin Newsom of California is taking a victory lap after voters in his state passed Proposition 50, a major change to how congressional districts are drawn. Newsom is now traveling to Texas, a Republican state, to rally Democrats and spread his message. But let’s take a closer look at what just happened in California—and why it should concern every American who cares about fairness, the Constitution, and the balance of power.
First, some background. For many years, California used a nonpartisan redistricting commission to draw its congressional maps. That means an independent group—rather than politicians—created the lines for each district. The goal was to keep politics out of the process so voters could choose their representatives, not the other way around.
But with Proposition 50, Newsom and the Democrat-run legislature took that power away from the independent commission and gave it back to the politicians in Sacramento. Why? Because they want to draw the lines in a way that helps Democrats win more seats in Congress. In fact, experts say this move could create five new Democrat-leaning districts in California alone.
Proposition 50 is nothing short of a political power grab. It reverses years of reform and hands total control to one party in the state. And Newsom is proud of it. He’s calling it a win for “democracy,” but in truth, it’s the opposite. True democracy depends on fair elections and equal representation—not gerrymandered maps drawn to rig the results before a single vote is cast.
Let’s be clear: both parties have played games with redistricting over the years. But that doesn’t make it right. What makes this situation especially troubling is that California already had a fair system. Newsom tore that down with the stroke of a pen, all for political gain.
Now, fresh off this win, Newsom is heading to Texas to rally support and help Democrats in red states try the same thing. He claims he’s fighting back against President Trump and the GOP. But what he’s really doing is pushing a nationwide strategy to redraw maps in blue states to cancel out the gains Republicans have made in red states.
President Trump and Republican leaders are playing by the rules. In states like Texas, Missouri, and Ohio, they are drawing new maps during the legal redistricting period following the census—or, in some cases, due to court orders. That’s allowed under the Constitution and state law. But Newsom is changing the rules in the middle of the game. He’s ignoring the will of voters who approved the independent commission in the first place, just so his party can win more seats.
This is not how our system is meant to work. The Founders gave us a constitutional republic, not a rigged democracy where one party rewrites the rules whenever it falls behind. The Constitution does allow states to control redistricting, but that power was never meant to be used like this—as a weapon to crush political opponents.
Newsom’s actions are a warning sign. If Democrats in other states follow his lead, we could see a wave of partisan gerrymandering disguised as reform. That would damage trust in our elections and make Congress even more divided than it already is.
Thankfully, President Trump and conservative leaders are standing firm. They understand the importance of fair elections and equal representation. They are working through legal and constitutional means to give voters a real voice. And they are not afraid to call out Democrats like Newsom who are trying to change the rules for political gain.
The redistricting battles we see today aren’t just about lines on a map. They’re about who holds power, how our republic functions, and whether we will follow the Constitution—or throw it aside for short-term political wins.
It’s time for voters in every state to pay attention. Because if we let politicians like Gavin Newsom rewrite the rules to suit their party, we risk losing the very foundation of representative government. And that’s a price too high to pay.
