California citizens are getting a groundbreaking opportunity to push back against the Trump Administration. This November 4, Californians will vote on Proposition 50, an effort to influence the political control of the House of Representatives by changing California’s Congressional districts. This will be a historic showdown to hold President Trump accountable.

Let’s take a step back and review how we got here

Since the 2024 election, the Republican Party has held a slim majority in the United States Senate and the House of Representatives. This has allowed the Trump Administration to pass its bills without any Democratic input or compromise. Their unchecked vision of America is unfolding across the country, from ICE raids to tariffs to healthcare cuts.

Now, the U.S. holds elections every two years to determine whether we agree with the country’s direction. These are called midterm elections, and they’re an opportunity for a President to make their case that they’re doing a good job.

Historically, regardless of the political party of the sitting president, the president’s side loses some seats in Congress as voters want to reduce the political power of the ruling party. This happened with Presidents Bush, Obama, Biden, and even President Trump’s first term. The next midterm elections are coming up in November 2026.

But this time, President Trump has decided he does not want to play by the rules

He called on the Republican governor of Texas to change their Congressional maps, in a naked effort to skew them in the Republicans’ favor. It’s a process called “gerrymandering”, where elected officials draw their districts in a way that almost guarantees which party will win with that group of voters.

These new district maps, just passed by the Texas legislature, are drawn to essentially ensure that 5 Democrats lose their elections and are replaced by 5 Republicans. The Texas governor, acting on President Trump’s orders, is taking the country one step closer to authoritarianism.

Enter California

Governor Gavin Newsom warned President Trump that if he insisted that Texas move ahead with its national power play, then the Golden State would have something to say about it. Governor Newsom decided to fight fire with fire and worked with the California Legislature to craft the “Election Rigging Response Act”. This act draws new Congressional maps as well, maps that would help Democrats win five more Congressional seats against five Republicans.

But there is a key catch

These new maps would only go into effect if Texas moves ahead with its plan (which it already did), and politicians won’t just vote on these new maps. California voters must approve these maps. It’s an ultimately democratic process that leaves the decision to cancel out the Texan gerrymander in the hands of the people.

So here we are in the year 2025: an American president wants to keep power by changing the rules of the game, and the people of California have a golden opportunity to fight back. This November 4, Californians will decide whether to let the President get away with his power grab or stand up for democracy and the American people.

Abram Diaz is a Chief of Staff in the California State Assembly and a lecturer on politics at American River College. He previously served as chair of the California Latino Capitol Association, a group dedicated to growing Latino representation in California politics.

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