‘California has spoken’: San Diego lawmakers react to passing of Prop 50
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) -- With more than 60% precincts partially reporting, California’s Prop 50 is projected to pass.
Voters across California voted in Tuesday’s Special Election to decide the outcome of Prop 50, California’s temporary redistricted map to counteract Texas’ redistricting. As a result, five new congressional districts with a democratic majority have been mapped in California.
San Diego lawmakers have shared both their support and criticism of the new maps following election results.
“California has spoken,” San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria posted on social media. “We’ve taken decisive action to protect our democracy and resist efforts to rig our national election. Our message is clear: we’re tired of chaos in Washington and want a federal government that works for the people, not a president.”
Supporters of Prop 50 have maintained that redistricting is necessary to protect democracy.
“I always say that it will take all of us to build a democracy that works and we just took a big step forward thanks to millions of California voters,” Congresswoman Sara Jacobs shared on social media.
San Diego District 48 impacted
Some Republican lawmakers now find themselves in new districts following the election results. One of these lawmakers, San Diego Republican Congressman Darrell Issa, said he isn’t giving up.
“California is my home,” Issa said in a statement. “And it’s worth fighting for.”
Issa believes the new law is a result of a “partisan campaign” that gerrymandered the state.
“I know how many of my friends and constituents feel about tonight’s election results and the unprecedented purely partisan campaign that pitted neighbor against neighbor and divided the state as never before,” Issa added.
“Here’s something Newsom and his cronies don’t know: It won’t work,” Issa added. “The worst gerrymander in history has a fatal flaw. Voters get to pick their representatives. Not the other way around.”
Democratic San Diego Councilmember Marni von Wilpert is campaigning to replace Issa’s seat. Von Wilpert believes Prop 50 will help flip CA-48.
“With these new lines, CA-48 becomes one of the most competitive races in America, and a must-win seat to flip the House,” von Wilpert said in a statement. “I’m the only candidate in this race who’s proven I can win tough elections, flip red seats blue, and deliver results for working families.”
Von Wilpert said California’s new congressional maps will also help protect democracy from the Trump administration.
“We will not let Donald Trump and his allies rig our democracy or silence our votes,” Von Wilpert said. “Proposition 50 protects our voice at the ballot box and gives us a real chance to take our country back, starting right here in Southern California.”
Attempting to challenge Prop 50, Issa filed a lawsuit against the redistricting efforts before being dismissed, according to The Times of San Diego. Issa will now have to campaign in a district with a Democratic majority.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Issa said. “I’ll continue to represent the people of California — regardless of their party or where they live. I’m not quitting on California. And neither should anyone else.”
“Now that Prop 50 has passed, the stage is set,” Von Wilpert said. “All eyes are on California — and the path to a Democratic House majority runs straight through CA-48. I’m ready to take this fight to every neighborhood, hold Issa accountable for raising costs and siding with extremists, and deliver a fairer, safer, more affordable future for working families.”
