Prop 50 Passes in California Sending 'Powerful Message' to Trump

“We stood tall and we stood firm,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom said late Tuesday after election results showed voters approved Proposition 50.

The ballot measure, dubbed “The Election Rigging Response Act,” grants lawmakers permission to gerrymander congressional districts in favor of Democrats ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

Newsom pushed Prop 50 after Texas Republicans agreed to redraw congressional districts at President Trump’s urging. Once Texas took action, Newsom vowed to fight back and enlisted Democrats from across the nation for support, including former President Barack Obama and democratic Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett.

In a news conference Tuesday night, carried live by the cable networks and C-SPAN, Newsom said he was “proud” of Californians for sending “a powerful message” to Trump.

“Donald Trump is a historic president. He is the most historically unpopular president in modern history,” Newsom said.

Newsom accused Trump of trying to rig next year’s election, but said Californians would not be hoodwinked.

“One thing [Trump] never counted on though was the state of California. Instead of agonizing over the state of our nation, we organized — in an unprecedented way,” Newsom stated. “In a 90 day sprint. People from all over the United States of America contributed their voices and their support for this initiative. We stood tall and we stood firm in response to Donald Trump’s recklessness. And tonight, after poking the bear, this bear roared.”

The California grizzly bear is the state’s official animal and Newsom often wears shirts with a small bear symbol on them. While he wore suit Tuesday, he appeared ready for a political battle and a potential run for the White House in 2028.

The Associated Press and NBC News both called the race, saying Prop 50 had passed moments after polls closed at 8 p.m. PT/11 p.m. ET.

According to the California secretary of state’s website, just before 11 p.m. PT, 69% of the ballots had been counted. Of those, 64.3% were yes votes, while 35.7% of ballots were marked no.

“What a night for the democratic party… from coast to coast from sea to shining sea,” Newsom said.

On the East Coast, Democrats secured wins in the New York City mayor’s race, as well as the contests for governor in New Jersey and Virginia, which has a large percentage of federal workers affected by the record-long government shutdown.

President Trump responded to the election results on Truth Social.

“TRUMP WASN’T ON THE BALLOT, AND SHUTDOWN, WERE THE TWO REASONS THAT REPUBLICANS LOST ELECTIONS TONIGHT,” he wrote in all caps.

AP News has full election results from across the nation.