Voters at a vote center at the Oakland Public Library on Nov. 5, 2024. Photo by Florence Middleton for CalMatters. Hed: Gavin Newsom’s congressional maps face their final test at the ballot box

California voters are deciding the fate of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Proposition 50, which poses one simple question: to gerrymander or not to gerrymander? bit.ly/47qsoV7

📝 @jeannereporter.bsky.social & @mayacmiller.bsky.social
📸 Florence Middleton

A “Vote Yes on Prop 50” button at the Kern County Democratic Party booth during the Kern County Fair in Bakersfield on Sept. 26, 2025. Photo by Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters/CatchLight Local. Hed: California Democrats made Prop. 50 about Trump. Polls show it’s working as voting ends

Recent opinion polls show strong support for the Yes side. Newsom’s campaign is flooding the airwaves with star-studded advertisements and drowning out its opponents’ faint final pitch to voters. bit.ly/3JzVGYb

📝 @mayacmiller.bsky.social
📸 Larry Valenzuela

Democrats are outrunning their opponents on Prop. 50 fundraising With two weeks left before the election, they’re going on a spending spree to make California’s ballot measure a California referendum on Trump.

Read the latest from @jeannereporter.bsky.social and me for @calmatters.org, with a key assist from @jeremiak.com on the fundraising numbers 🧮 calmatters.org/politics/202...

There's no doubt that the "Yes on Prop. 50" campaign has the financial advantage and star power headed into the final countdown to Election Day (@barackobama.bsky.social is their closer in a seven-figure ad buy).

But California's redistricting fight is far from over...and the race is close

Voter turnout is low in this California region, but people are tuning in for the Newsom v. Trump showdown Most Central Valley voters don’t know the term “Proposition 50.” But they’ll weigh in on whether California should draw new maps to fight Texas’s gerrymander.

In the San Joaquin Valley, inspiring voters to cast a ballot is a very different process than California's coastal hubs. And given that Democrats are hoping to draw David Valadao out of a job in the midterms, turnout will be key for Prop. 50 @mayacmiller.bsky.social calmatters.org/politics/202...

A doctor and former California senator is Rep. Kevin Kiley’s latest Democratic challenger Dr. Richard Pan, who is best known for his school vaccine bills, wants to hold Republicans accountable for slashing health care.

A well-known Sacramento Democrat is taking on this suddenly vulnerable California Republican calmatters.org/politics/202... via @mayacmiller.bsky.social @calmatters.org

Newsom's maps would give this MAGA stronghold one of the most liberal congressmembers If California redistricts, the conservative beach town that banned LGBTQ Pride flags on city property would get a gay, progressive Democrat in Congress.

My latest for @calmatters.org calmatters.org/politics/202...

Huntington Beach banned the Pride flag on city property. Gov. Gavin Newsom's maps would give them a progressive, gay congressman in Rep. Robert Garcia if Proposition 50 passes

Drill baby drill? It could happen again in California After years of cracking down on California’s oil industry, Gavin Newsom is working on a deal with oil interests to avoid soaring gas prices.

Gavin Newsom changes his tune, as he does so often. This time it's on oil drilling after two years of political warfare with the fossil fuel industry. Many legislators are begrudgingly onboard @akoseff.bsky.social @mayacmiller.bsky.social @gauchoesque.bsky.social calmatters.org/politics/202...

Gavin Newsom ordered state workers back to the office. Why he backtracked Newsom argued state employees needed to boost productivity and rebuild public trust by working in-office nearly full-time. Why delay? Politics, critics say.

CA Gov. Gavin Newsom was adamant that he would make state employees return to the office four days a week starting this summer.

Now many can telework till next July.

Why did the gov suddenly reverse course?

Find out in my first story for @calmatters.org: calmatters.org/politics/202...

Update! I’ve joined @calmatters.org as a politics reporter! I’ll cover campaigns, state government accountability and California’s congressional delegation among many other topics.

Add me to your press lists, drop me a line and let’s grab coffee: maya@calmatters.org

As Trump and Musk Upend Washington, Congressional Phones Can’t Keep Up In the three weeks since President Trump took office and gave Elon Musk free rein inside the federal government, millions of calls have poured in to members of Congress, jamming the system.

In the three weeks since President Trump took office and gave Elon Musk free rein inside the federal government, millions of calls have poured in to members of Congress, jamming the system.

www.nytimes.com/2025/02/07/u...