SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — A packed house of supporters roared Monday as Governor Gavin Newsom made his closing argument for Proposition 50, a ballot measure that could reshape California’s congressional maps.
“They poked the bear, and the bear is poking back,” Newsom told the crowd. “Prop 50 is not about drawing lines on a map. It is about holding the line to what makes us who we are.”
CA Election: Everything you need to know about Prop 50
Flanked by prominent elected Democrats and union leaders, including labor activist Dolores Huerta, the governor urged his party to leave everything on the field and turn out “in record numbers.”
Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi praised Newsom’s leadership – in what might have been a nod to the governor’s presidential ambitions.
“This governor has a vision for our country,” she said. “When this opportunity occurred, Gavin had a plan. He’s a man with a plan and that’s what brings us here today.”
MORE: New polls show Californians overwhelmingly support Prop 50 ahead of Election Day
Supporters echoed that enthusiasm. “He’s one of our champions and we love Mr. Newsom!” said Marilyn Smith, a member of SEIU. “We are very hopeful.”
But even allies acknowledged the measure is no sure thing. “It doesn’t mean we will get five seats,” said U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif. – who helped spearhead the effort after Texas first started moving with its gerrymandering plans this summer. “It means we have an opportunity to win five seats.”
Republicans warned the proposal could dismantle California’s independent redistricting commission. “It’s an affront to our state constitution and an affront to what the voters have voted for multiple times,” said Matt Shupe, a spokesperson for the California GOP. “We have the gold standard Citizens Redistricting Committee.”
MORE: Prop 50: In a California GOP stronghold, voters are not happy with Newsom’s plan to help Democrats
Recent polls suggest Democrats may have the upper hand, with Prop 50 expected to pass. If approved, the new maps could push five of California’s nine Republican members of Congress out of office and remain in effect until 2031.
The fight comes as other states redraw congressional maps in what has become a national redistricting arms race. Texas, Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio have already completed new maps, potentially giving Republicans nine additional seats. For Democrats, all eyes are on California.
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