Obama: Republicans Are Trying to ‘Rig the Next Election’
President Obama is stepping into the fight for control of the U.S. House by appearing in a 30-second ad urging California voters to approve a November ballot measure that could add up to five Democratic-held House seats in the state, according to the AP.
Proposition 50 proposes a major redrawing of California’s congressional districts, with the goal of increasing Democratic representation in Congress. Supporters frame it as a counter to President Trump’s efforts in Texas and other states to expand Republican influence ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. In the ad, Obama warns, “Republicans want to steal enough seats in Congress to rig the next election and wield unchecked power for two more years. You can stop Republicans in their tracks.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom has cast the vote as a referendum on Trump, who remains unpopular outside his conservative base in the liberal-leaning state. Voting on Proposition 50 is ongoing and ends November 4. Critics, including Republicans, argue the proposal is a Democratic power grab that would override congressional district lines established by an independent commission more than a decade ago.
The dispute between California and Texas, the nation’s two most populous states, is drawing national attention. North Carolina Republican leaders recently announced plans to vote on redrawing their state’s congressional map, following Trump’s call to secure more GOP seats nationwide and counter Democratic efforts.
Currently, Republicans hold a 219-213 majority in the U.S. House, with three vacancies. If California’s new map is approved, it could eliminate five Republican-held House seats while strengthening Democratic incumbents in other battleground districts. That shift could increase the Democratic hold on California’s congressional delegation to 48 of 52 seats, up from 43.
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