Newsom’s Prop 50: The Ultimate Insider Power Grab Exposed

State Senate President Mike McGuire’s self-carved congressional district highlights how politicians rig maps for personal gain

This is political satire. But this exact conversation could have happened!

🕒 5 min read

A Calculated Betrayal of Voter Trust

California voters have long demanded fair play in how electoral districts are drawn. Yet Proposition 50, pushed by Governor Gavin Newsom and Democratic leaders, threatens to drag us back to an era where politicians manipulate boundaries for their own benefit. At the heart of this scheme lies a blatant example of self-dealing: State Senate President Mike McGuire positioning himself for a cozy congressional seat. This isn’t about protecting democracy—it’s about entrenching power.

Voters Demanded Independence from Politicians

Twice in recent history, Californians voted decisively to strip politicians of the power to draw district lines. In 2008, they approved Proposition 11, creating an Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission to handle state legislative boundaries. Two years later, Proposition 20 expanded that to include U.S. House districts, passing with over 61% support. When lawmakers tried to claw back control with Proposition 27 that same year, voters rejected it soundly. That’s three times the voters had their say.

The reason was clear: When legislators draw the maps, they gerrymander to protect incumbents and punish opponents. Instead of voters choosing their representatives, politicians pick their voters. This creates uncompetitive districts, reduces accountability, and fosters extremism. The independent redistricting commission, with its open process and diverse membership, was designed to prioritize communities over party bosses. Proposition 50 would sideline that system mid-decade, handing control back to Sacramento insiders under the guise of countering Republican moves in Texas.

McGuire’s Tailor-Made District: A Case Study in Self-Dealing

Look no further than Mike McGuire for proof of the rot in this plan. Elected to the State Senate in 2014 from a safe Democratic seat, McGuire won re-elections in 2018 and 2022. Now term-limited, he faced a dead end—his local Congressman, Jared Huffman, shows no signs of retiring. Enter Proposition 50’s proposed maps, which conveniently create a brand-new safe Democratic seat with no incumbent, perfectly encompassing McGuire’s home.

In the current setup, black lines show existing U.S. House districts. McGuire’s residence falls in the 2nd District, where Kamala Harris trounced Donald Trump by over 45 points in 2024, represented by Huffman. Adjacent is the 1st District, held by Republican Doug LaMalfa, which Trump carried by more than 25 points. But under Prop 50’s green-highlighted new district, LaMalfa’s area gets redrawn to include McGuire’s home—flipping the partisan lean so Harris wins by over 12 points.

Let’s zoom in closer:

This isn’t accidental; it’s surgical gerrymandering, slicing communities to benefit one party—and one politician. This is a close up of the part of this new Democratic district draw for the term-limited McGuire. Notice how the maps scoops down to get his home, but not far enough to grab the home of Rep. Mike Thompson, representing the district next door? McGuire, who helped shepherd this through the legislature, claims it’s about “protecting the people of the Golden State, our Democracy, and making sure voters have a say.” But where’s the voter input here? This map was drawn in closed-door deals, not public hearings.

The Broader Cost of Rigging the System

Proposition 50 doesn’t stop with McGuire’s self-dealing. The overall redraw aims to eliminate five Republican seats, boosting Democrats to a 48-4 edge in California’s delegation. It’s sold as a response to Texas redistricting, but two wrongs don’t make a right. Forcing a $200 million special election burdens taxpayers already strained by budget woes. And it sets a dangerous precedent: If politicians can override the commission whenever it suits them, what’s to stop endless mid-decade tweaks?

This erodes trust in elections. Voters approved the independent process to end exactly this kind of insider trading. By ignoring that, Newsom and company risk alienating independents and moderates who value fairness over partisan wins.

So, Does It Matter?

Yes, profoundly. Proposition 50 isn’t just a policy tweak—it’s an assault on the principle that elections should reflect the people’s will, not politicians’ ambitions. By allowing self-dealing like McGuire’s, it invites corruption and weakens accountability. Californians fought for an independent system to ensure districts serve communities, not careers. Rejecting Prop 50 preserves that integrity, reminding leaders they work for us, not the other way around. In a state facing real challenges like housing costs and fiscal deficits, we can’t afford distractions that deepen divisions and drain resources. Newsom, McGuire and company have produced a totally biased title and summary of this measure, that will appear on the ballot, obfuscating the manipulation. Voters need to see through this cynical play and reject Prop. 50.

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Something extra! Senator President Mike McGuire is a political climber. Below the firewall we have a look at his political career, as a thank you to our paid subscribers. We invite you to upgrade and break through this firewall, and all of them. Get 100% of our content (instead of 60%) and also support bold, independent and spot-on analysis. It’s $7/mo or $70/yr. (About half the price Substack recommended!).