Proposition 50

After the sudden death of U.S. Rep Doug LaMalfa, a CalMatters reporter who covered him for 20 years reflects on his life and legacy.

LaMalfa was known for his dedication to water access and forestry management, key issues for his largely rural district. His death leaves House Republicans with an even more precarious majority that could struggle to pass Republican legislation.

Republicans and the Trump administration are hoping a panel of federal judges in Los Angeles will halt the new Prop. 50 maps from taking effect. But given the Supreme Court’s recent ruling greenlighting Texas’s redrawn maps, their odds are long.

McGuire, who terms out of the Legislature next year, hopes to capitalize on Democrats’ new voter registration advantage in LaMalfa’s post-Prop. 50 district to flip a congressional seat from red to blue. His launch video appears to preemptively address the criticism that he’s out of touch with rural Californians.

In recent years, California Republicans wielded far more influence in Congress than in the state Legislature, thanks to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. But since his ouster, and now under Prop. 50 maps, the GOP is increasingly isolated.

Gov. Gavin Newsom has been looking for a way to win national attention. Proposition 50 puts him “light-years ahead.”

California voters passed Gov. Gavin Newsom's Proposition 50, which will tilt the state's congressional districts toward Democrats in the 2026 election. Now comes the scramble: Who runs where?

Potential challenges in the courts and in Washington may affect whether Prop 50 influences the 2026 political races.

California voters backed Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plan to redraw congressional districts in favor of Democrats. It was a big night for him in his rivalry with President Donald Trump.

California counties are reporting results for Proposition 50, Gov. Gavin Newsom's ballot measure to tilt the 2026 election map in favor of Democrats.