The Yes on Proposition 50 campaign won a massive victory at the ballot box earlier this month on Tuesday, November 4, during the Statewide Special Election. The controversial temporary California congressional redistricting measure won more than 64% of the vote, but its toughest battle may lie ahead in the legal fight. Last week, Trump’s Department of Justice joined a lawsuit to block the implementation of Prop. 50.
California Governor Gavin Newsom is the primary force behind Proposition 50, but he credits President Trump with sparking the idea for the ballot measure. Last summer, Trump reportedly asked Texas Republicans to redraw their congressional map to improve the GOP’s chances of gaining extra seats during the 2026 midterm elections. The Texas Republicans complied, prompting Newsom and state Democratic leaders to respond with Proposition 50, which favors Democrats in five additional districts. What is at stake is the Republicans’ slim majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Attorney General Pam Bondi called Proposition 50 “a brazen power grab” in a news release. In a tweet, the governor’s press office responded to the DOJ lawsuit.
These losers lost at the ballot box, and soon they will also lose in court. https://t.co/SVsEFmFrbc
— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) November 13, 2025
Governor Newsom is named in the suit. The DOJ accuses California of a civil rights violation by allegedly using race to favor Hispanics in the new map. Meanwhile, efforts to redraw state congressional maps have spread to other states, including Missouri, Ohio, and North Carolina.
