REDDING, Calif. (AP) — In a part of Northern California known for agriculture, ranching and a rural way of life, residents fear that a ballot measure to redraw the U.S. House maps will almost certainly weaken what little political power they have in the heavily Democratic state.
If Proposition 50 passes, voters in three northern counties that went heavily for President Donald Trump in the last three elections would share a representative with some of the state’s wealthiest and most liberal coastal communities. Rural voters would be outnumbered, making it unlikely that a Republican candidate would prevail.
“Most of us just look at it as massive gerrymandering, taking away what little representation we had and now we have absolutely nothing,” Patrick Jones, a former Shasta County supervisor, said in a recent interview at his family’s gun store.
Voting on the measure ends November 4th. It would draw partisan maps of the U.S. House of Representatives outside of the normal, once-a-decade redistricting process conducted by an independent commission. It’s an attempt by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom to counter a Trump-backed plan in Texas to gain five more Republican seats. He says it’s necessary to defend democracy, but California Republicans call it a power grab that will disenfranchise voters. Republicans currently hold nine of the state’s 52 congressional seats.
In Redding, one of the largest cities north of Sacramento, highways are dotted with vivid yellow signs urging residents to support fair elections and rural representation. A local man recently led a one-person protest outside City Hall while more than 150 others turned out for a rally to reject what they said was a plan by Democrats to take away their vote.
But they face an uphill battle in the state where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans nearly 2-to-1. Democrats cast almost twice as many ballots. Labor unions and other Democratic allies have mobilized hundreds of volunteers to reach voters in all-blue areas like Los Angeles, which has millions of voters. Two weeks before Election Day, nearly 7,000 ballots were returned in Shasta County, said county clerk Clint Curtis. He expects a lower voter turnout than normal.
Television advertising against the measure — a major investment in the sprawling state — has largely dried up. Some residents in Redding say they have heard little from Republican Rep. Doug LaMalfa about a plan to fight the measure, although he has an event planned for Wednesday in another city in his district.
Rural strongholds are preparing for political changes
Under the novel maps, voters in Shasta, Siskiyou and Modoc counties — all conservative strongholds in the rural north — would be in the same congressional district as Marin County, which sits directly across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco.
LaMalfa’s current district includes farms growing rice, olives and other tree nuts, and livestock farming is widespread in the northernmost areas. Lassen National Volcanic Park, historic Shasta Dam and snow-capped Mt. Shasta are defining features. Redding has fewer than 100,000 residents. Distrust of the government and belief in election conspiracies are widespread. In 2024, 67% of Shasta County voters supported Trump.
Marin County, however, went for Democrat Kamala Harris with 80%. The median household income is over $140,000 – about twice as much as in Shasta County. It is part of a district that stretches north of the Pacific Coast into Oregon and is known for its redwood forests, wine production and cannabis farms. She is represented by Democratic Rep. Jared Huffman.
LaMalfa, a rice farmer, opposes the proposal and has spent at least $63,000 from his campaign fund reaching voters through text messages and yard signs. He also donated $50,000 to a national “No” campaign. Brenda Haynes, who works in the LaMalfa district office, said the congressman joined residents waving flags on highway overpasses. His campaign declined a request for a reporter to accompany him on the trail.
“I think he was on the phone and stuff, but I haven’t really heard from him,” said Toby Ruiz, a retired state employee who has lived in the area most of his life.
LaMalfa’s supporters say they appreciate his conservative stance and are committed to an significant novel water storage project.
“I really love the guy,” said Bob Braz, a Redding-area native who owns a bait shop. “I stand for almost everything he did.”
Those who don’t know much about LaMalfa’s past 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. She added, “I don’t know anyone from the Bay Area with their progressive ideas.”
Newsom and other Democrats say the measure is a tool to combat Trump’s agenda and counter Republican efforts to gain seats elsewhere. Even if it passes and Democrats gain five more seats, it may not help the party retain the House. Republicans in Missouri, North Carolina and Indiana join Texas in trying to gain more seats in the 2026 midterm elections. Meanwhile, Virginia lawmakers are back in session to work on a map that will accommodate Democrats. All of these efforts are sure to bring 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 response to something unprecedented that happened.”
But voters in Redding see this as another way to silence their voices.
They have long felt neglected by the Democratic-controlled Legislature in Sacramento, which they blame for raising the cost of living and violating local control. Lawmakers, for example, banned counties from hand-counting ballots in most cases after Shasta County leaders voted to eliminate their vote-counting machines in 2023.
Some said they fear national Republicans won’t fight to keep the seats if the measure passes.
“You would have to spend a lot of money to reach your base,” said Jones, the former district manager. “And they just won’t want to waste that much money because it would be better spent elsewhere across the country.”
The voters are divided
Not all voters are afraid of change.
Warren Swanson, a Redding resident for more than 40 years, called LaMalfa “Do Nothing Doug.” His wife, Tara Swanson, also voted “yes” for the measure, in part because it promises to return mapping authority to the independent commission after the 2030 census.
“Do two wrongs make a right? For those of us who think along those lines, that’s a difficult question,” said Tara Swanson.
Some liberal voters in Mt. Shasta in Siskiyou County are hoping to oust LaMalfa because of his vote for Trump’s sweeping tax and spending bill that will reform health and food assistance programs. Mothers, families and older adults in the city could go hungry because of changes to food assistance programs, said Colleen Shelly, a Mt. Shasta resident who works with the state food assistance program.
But the fight for Republican voters in California is far from over, said Walter Stephen Rubke, a 38-year-old who moved to Redding last year. Many newborn people support conservatives, he said, and he expects continued opposition from GOP voters even if the measure passes.
“I see a difficult road ahead,” he said. “But I’m confident. I’m hopeful.”
