Sandpiper Endorsement: Yes On 50

Are you frustrated by not being able to take action against the raging authoritarianism of the Trump regime? There is one bold step you can take to counter Trump’s plan to steal the next two elections–cast a vote for Prop 50.

Republican states like Texas and Missouri have responded to Trump’s demands to disenfranchise Democratic voters by changing congressional districts so that Republican candidates can more easily be elected (commonly called gerrymandering). The changes in Texas will likely result in an additional 5 Republicans being elected to Congress, and a corresponding loss of 5 Democratic seats.

Redistricting typically occurs after the census every 10 years, so it should not take place until 2030. Trump has urged Republican-led states to change congressional districts now in an attempt to preserve the narrow Republican majority in the House of Representatives. California has an independent redistricting committee that adjusts congressional district boundaries after each census. Although this is the fairest mechanism, it is naïve to assume that California should ignore what is clearly an attempt to steal congressional seats in the 2026 midterm elections. Prop 50 proposes to impose a temporary redistricting to offset the 5 seats likely to be lost in Texas by shifting congressional district boundaries here to favor Democratic candidates in 5 districts currently represented by Republicans. The redistricting process will revert to the independent commission following the 2030 census.

What was done in Texas and Missouri (and is being considered in other Republican-led states) is not fair. California cannot ignore this unprecedented strategy to steal an election. Prop. 50 is an appropriate, if somewhat unpalatable, response to Trump-instigated gerrymandering.  It is important to remember that it is a temporary measure that will end in 2030. The Sandpiper urges you to vote YES on Prop. 50; the Ballot Drop Box in front of City Hall will accept ballots until 8pm on Nov. 4.