Point Loma residents chime in on state passing Prop. 50

SAN DIEGO – Voters on Nov. 4 overwhelmingly backed Proposition 50, the redistricting measure that California Democrats say is critical to protecting democracy.

The proposition was proposed to counteract Texas’s partisan gerrymander, undertaken by the Trump to administration create several new safe Republican districts.

Under Prop. 50, California will halt the work of its independent redistricting commission until after 2030 to allow the legislature to redraw congressional districts to carve out additional Democratic seats. Democrats argued Prop. 50 will help ensure Republicans do not retain full control of the federal government.

After the measure passed, state Republicans sued over Prop. 50, asking the court to block the new maps from taking effect. The new map is expected to have significant effects on the 2026 midterms. Past elections have shown the president’s party typically loses ground in midterms.

In the aftermath of such an important vote, the Peninsula Beacon did a “shout out” to Peninsula residents via email and social media, asking why they did — or didn’t — support Prop. 50. Here’s what they said:

“I voted no on Prop. 50,” Andrew Hollingworth said. “No matter what happened in Texas, I felt it was an indefensible power grab by Newsom and the Democrats that overturns a good government reform that created the citizens’ redistricting commission.

“No matter what the proponents say, the citizens redistricting commission will never be reinstated, and we will return to the bad old days where politicians chose their voters, not the other way around.”

As an independent voter, Jerry Lohla had a somewhat different take. “Everyone who voted ‘Yes’ on Proposition 50 probably supports the concept of congressional districts in California being determined after every federal census by a non-partisan redistricting committee, rather than by politicians of either political party in state legislatures,” he said.

“However, when President Trump asked the Republican governor of Texas (and other red states) to further gerrymander the already heavily gerrymandered Texas, it was a brazen attack on our democracy.

“I do not feel represented by either party, but, in this case, I support Newsom leading this successful Proposition 50 effort.”

Paul Grimes of Point Loma’s The Wooded Area said he voted no on Prop. 50 as “it is a clear overreach by a single partisan party. Prop. 50 multiplies the gerrymandering fight nationwide that will expand to more states and eventually hurt Democrats.

“Newsom is putting himself ahead of taking the high road to encourage independent congressional district assignment. After the 2030 census, which will see blue states lose seats to red states, California Democrats will find it hard to follow the Prop. 50 ‘mandate’ to return to the independent panel process for congressional district maps.”