California Republicans are preparing to shrink representation under Newsom’s redistricting plan

REDDING, Calif. (AP) — In an area of ​​Northern California known for farming, ranching and a rural lifestyle, residents worry that a ballot measure to redraw the maps of the U.S. House of Representatives is sure to dilute what little political power they have in the heavily Democratic state.

If Proposition 50 passes, voters in three northern counties that strongly supported President Donald Trump in the last three elections would share a representative with some of the state’s wealthier and more liberal coastal communities. Rural voters will be outnumbered, making it unlikely that a Republican candidate will win.

“Most of us see it as, you know, just a big gerrymander, where we take away what little representation we had, and now we’ll have nothing at all,” Patrick Jones, a former Shasta County supervisor, said in a recent interview at his family’s gun store.

Voting ends November 4 on the measure, which would create partisan maps for the US House of Representatives outside of the normal once-a-decade redistricting process handled by an independent commission. It’s an attempt by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom to counter a Trump-backed plan in Texas to pick up five more Republican seats. He says it’s necessary to defend democracy, but California Republicans call it a power grab that would disenfranchise voters. Republicans currently hold nine of the state’s 52 congressional seats.

In Redding, one of the largest cities north of Sacramento, the highway is dotted with bright yellow signs urging residents to stand up for fair elections and rural representation. A local man recently led a lone protest in front of City Hall, while more than 150 others showed up at a rally to reject what they see as a scheme by Democrats to take away their votes.

But they face an uphill battle in a state where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans about 2 to 1. Democrats have returned nearly twice as many ballots. Labor unions and other Democratic allies have mobilized hundreds of volunteers to reach voters in blue areas like Los Angeles, which are home to millions of voters. Two weeks before Election Day, about 7,000 ballots were returned in Shasta County, County Clerk Clint Curtis said. It is expected that the turnout will be lower than usual.

Television ads opposing the measure — a major investment in the sprawling state — have largely dried up. Some residents in Redding say they’ve heard little from Republican Rep. Doug LaMalfa about a plan to fight the measure, though he has scheduled an event for Wednesday in another city in his district.

Rural strongholds prepare for political change

Under the new maps, voters in Shasta, Siskiyou and Modoc counties — all conservative strongholds in the rural north — will be in the same congressional district with Marin County, which lies across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco.

The present-day La Malfa area includes farms growing rice, olives and other nut trees, and livestock farming is widespread in the far northern regions. Lassen Volcanic National Park, historic Shasta Dam, and snow-capped Mount Shasta are highlights. Redding has a population of less than 100,000. Mistrust of government and belief in electoral conspiracies are common. In 2024, 67% of Shasta County voters supported Trump.

Meanwhile, Marin County received 80% for Democrat Kamala Harris. The median household income exceeds $140,000, nearly double Shasta County’s income. It is part of a region that extends north up the Pacific Coast into Oregon and is known for its redwood forests, wine production, and hemp farms. She is represented by Democratic Representative Jared Huffman.

LaMalfa, a rice farmer, opposes the proposal and has spent at least $63,000 from his campaign fund to reach voters through text messages and yard signs. He also gave $50,000 to the statewide “No” campaign. Brenda Haynes, who works in the La Malfa district office, said the congressman joined residents waving flags on highway overpasses. His campaign declined a reporter’s request to follow him on the road.

Read more: Voting is currently underway in California on new maps that could impact control of the House of Representatives

“I think he made phone calls and things like that, but I never really heard from him,” said Toby Ruiz, a retired government employee who has lived in the area most of his life.

LaMalfa’s supporters say they appreciate his conservative stances and are pushing for a significant new water storage project.

“I love that guy so much,” said Bob Braz, a Redding-area resident who owns a bait shop. “I defend almost all the things he did.”

Those who don’t know much about LaMalfa’s record said they trust him because of his background.

“I don’t hear much about him, but he’s a farmer,” said Liz Jacobs, who moved to Redding from the Bay Area 20 years ago. “I don’t know anyone from the Bay Area who has his own progressive ideas,” she added.

Newsom and other Democrats say the measure is a tool to fight Trump’s agenda and counter Republican efforts to pick up seats elsewhere. Even if it passes and Democrats win five more seats, it may not help the party retain the House. Republicans in Missouri, North Carolina and Indiana are joining Texas in trying to attract more winnable seats in the 2026 midterms. Meanwhile, lawmakers in Virginia are back in session to work on a more Democratic-friendly map. All efforts are sure to face legal challenges.

“This is not the fight we want to fight. This was not our fight,” Newsom said at a recent virtual campaign event. “This is a reaction to something unprecedented that happened.”

But voters in Reading see it as another way to silence their voices.

They have long felt neglected by Sacramento’s Democratic-controlled Legislature, which they accuse of raising the cost of living and encroaching on local control. For example, lawmakers banned counties from counting ballots by hand in most cases after Shasta County leaders voted to get rid of their vote-counting machines in 2023.

Some said they were concerned that national Republicans would not put up a fight to retain seats if the measure passed.

“You’re going to have to spend a huge amount of money to get to your base,” said Jones, the former county supervisor. “And they simply won’t want to waste that amount of money because it would be better spent across the country somewhere else.”

Voters are divided

Not all voters fear change.

Warren Swanson, a Redding resident for more than 40 years, called LaMalfa a “do-nothing, Doug.” His wife, Tara Swanson, also voted “yes” on the measure, in part because it promises to return map-making authority to the independent commission after the 2030 Census.

“Two wrongs make a right? It’s a tough one for those of us who think like that,” Tara Swanson said.

Some liberal voters in Mount Shasta in Siskiyou County are hoping to oust LaMalva because of his vote for Trump’s sweeping tax and spending bill that would overhaul health care and food assistance programs. Mothers, families and seniors in the city may go hungry because of changes in food assistance programs, said Mount Shasta resident Colleen Shelley, who works with the state food assistance program.

But the fight is far from over for Republican voters in California, said Walter Steven Roepke, 38, who moved to Redding last year. He said many young people support conservatives, and he expects continued resistance from GOP voters even if the measure passes.

He added: “I see a difficult road ahead of us.” “But I feel confident. I feel hopeful.”