By Gene Berkman

In 2010, California voters overwhelmingly approved the Voters FIRST Act for Congress — entrusting the independent Citizens Redistricting Commission to draw fair congressional districts.

In November, California voters will revisit the issue of drawing districts to elect California’s Representatives in Congress. Democrats led by Governor Gavin Newson want to have the legislature’s majority party draw new districts intended to elect up to 5 more Democrats to Congress from California.

Prop 50 creates one of the most extreme partisan gerrymanders in modern American history — creating politician-drawn maps that experts call “one of the two worst gerrymanders of the last 50 years.” The purpose is to counter a partisan mid-decade redrawing of districts in Texas. Republicans in control of the Texas legislature have redrawn Congressional districts in the hope of electing more Republicans, and protecting the slim Republican majority in Congress.

The mid-decade redrawing of districts in Texas is abuse of the power of the legislature. It has been criticized by prominent California Republicans, including Arnold Schwarzenegger. Rep. Kiley and others. Libertarians in Texas oppose the mid-decade redistricting, and Libertarians in California oppose letting the legislators change the districts that were drawn 4 years ago by the non-partisan commission.

Reports are already showing that new districts in Texas might not choose Republicans in next year’s election. New districts were drawn based on votes cast in 2024, when Texans and many others voted against continuation of the disastrous ecomomic policies of President Joe Biden. Many of those voters are now upset with the policies that Donald Trump has imposed on America with his Executive Decrees. The new districts are not guaranteed to elect Republicans, given the disaster Trump has imposed on America.

In California, by contrast, there is no need to draw new districts. Under its current implausibly incompetent leadership California Republicans are likely to lose 3 to 5 seats in Congress with the present district lines. The Democrats are threatening to undermine the meaning of the coming rejection of Donald Trump in the 2026 midterm elections.

If Democrats are able to redraw the Congressional districs in California, it will just give Republicans an excuse for their poor showing in the 2026 midterm elections. Whose side is Gavin Newson on?

Let’s leave the districts as they are, so voters can show their disgust with California Republicans who support the anti-American, and anti-California policies foisted on America by President Donald F Trump.

In 2018, halfway into Donald Trump’s first term, every Republican Congressman in Orange County was defeated. They were defeated in the districts drawn by the non-partisan commission in 2011. They were defeated in Orange County! There was no way that the imcompetent leaders of California’s Republican Party could spin the 2018 votes. It was a rejection of Donald Trump.

Governor Newsom also forgets that in the first election after the end of gerrymandering, California Republicans lost several seats in Congress. The legislature’s Democrat leaders had accepted a congressional map that protected several incumbent Republicans. After the new maps, these Republicans lost the proctection that Democrat leaders in the legislature had given them.

The fight over the U.S. Congress is a serious matter. Democrats in power have given too much power to the federal government, and voted in taxes that are too high. Normally, voters tired of high taxes and too much regulation of business would look to Republicans to oppose this. But the current leader of the Republican Party is committed to a massive expansion of federal government control over production and trade.

Tariffs are taxes. They are also a means of imposing regulations on businesses that manufacture or distribute products in the United States. Prudent actions by many major businesses – including stocking up on products or production inputs that later were subjected to tariffs, has put off some of the cost of the Trump tariff policies. But the cost of these policies will be clear long before November 2026.

Reguardless of Republican excuses for Donald Trump; regardless of bad-faith actions like redistricting in Texas, Indiana and elsewhere – we now have to prepare to oppose the statist policies that Demcrats will want after 2026. They will be there to want them because voters are fed up with the statist policies of the MAGA cult.

In 2024, I voted for the Republican candidate for Senate in California. Rep. Schiff had supported the Iraq War, so he was unacceptable. Steve Garvey, Republican for U.S. Senate, indicated that he would not vote for Donald Trump, and he hoped Donald Trump would not endorse him. We can hope more California Republicans see the logic in separating themselves from the Anti-American politics of the MAGA cult.

Vote no on Proposition 50, the Democrats power grab! Vote against any Republican candidate who fails to oppose Donald Trump. With top two limiting choices in California, I expect alot of blank votes from people who know there is little hope for freedom or free enterpise if the Democrats are in charge, and less hope if the MAGA Republicans are in charge.

California voters need choices that support Freedom and Capitalism. Ending top two will give California voters more choice. Redrawing Congressional districts will just further limit our choices.

VOTE NO ON PROPOSITION 50! DEFEND NON-PARTISAN CONTROL OF CALIFORNIA ELECTIONS.