Brenda Haynes places signs throughout a conference room before a No on Prop 50 rally in Redding, Calif., Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
REDDING, Calif. (AP) — In a region of Northern California known for farms, ranches, and a traditional rural lifestyle, residents are worried that a ballot measure to redraw U.S. House districts could strip them of the little political influence they currently have in a strongly Democratic state.
If Proposition 50 passes, voters in three northern counties that have strongly supported President Donald Trump in the last three elections would be grouped with some of California’s wealthiest and most liberal coastal communities. The result: rural voters could be heavily outnumbered, making it unlikely for a Republican candidate to win.
“Most of us see it as just massive gerrymandering, taking what little representation we had and leaving us with absolutely nothing,” said Patrick Jones, a former Shasta County supervisor, speaking from his family’s gun shop.
Voting on the measure ends Nov. 4. Proposition 50 would allow partisan maps for U.S. House seats, bypassing the usual once-a-decade redistricting handled by an independent commission. The move, backed by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, is intended to counter a Trump-supported plan in Texas aimed at gaining five additional Republican seats. Newsom says the measure is needed to defend democracy, but California Republicans call it a power grab that would disenfranchise voters. Currently, Republicans hold nine of the state’s 52 congressional seats.
In Redding, one of the largest cities north of Sacramento, bright yellow signs urging residents to defend “fair elections and rural representation” line the highways. Local activists have staged protests at City Hall, drawing more than 150 attendees in recent rallies against what they see as an effort by Democrats to silence rural voters.
But with Democrats outnumbering Republicans nearly 2-to-1 in the state, rural conservatives face an uphill battle. Democrats have returned nearly twice as many ballots, and labor unions and allied groups have mobilized hundreds of volunteers in heavily Democratic regions, including Los Angeles. In Shasta County, just about 7,000 ballots had been returned two weeks before Election Day, according to County Clerk Clint Curtis, who expects lower turnout than usual.
TV advertising against the measure has largely faded in California’s sprawling media market. Many Redding residents say they’ve heard little from Republican Rep. Doug LaMalfa about a strategy to fight the measure, though he is scheduled to hold an event in another city in his district this week.
Rural districts face major changes
If approved, the new maps would place voters in Shasta, Siskiyou, and Modoc counties—all conservative rural strongholds—in the same congressional district as Marin County, just across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco.
LaMalfa’s current district includes farms producing rice, olives, and other tree nuts, along with widespread ranching. It also features Lassen National Volcanic Park, Shasta Dam, and Mt. Shasta. Redding has a population under 100,000, and distrust of government and election skepticism are common. In 2024, 67% of Shasta County voters supported Trump.
By contrast, Marin County is a liberal stronghold that supported Democrat Kamala Harris with 80% of the vote. Its median household income is roughly double that of Shasta County. The district stretches along the northern Pacific coast to Oregon and is represented by Democratic Rep. Jared Huffman.
LaMalfa, a rice farmer, opposes Proposition 50. He has spent at least $63,000 from his campaign fund on yard signs and text messaging to voters and donated $50,000 to a statewide “no” campaign. His office reports that he has joined constituents waving flags on highway overpasses, though his campaign declined a request for a reporter to shadow him.
“I think he’s done phone calls and stuff, but I haven’t really heard from him,” said Toby Ruiz, a retired state worker who has lived in the area most of his life.
Supporters praise LaMalfa’s conservative positions and efforts on local projects like water storage. “I pretty much love the guy,” said Bob Braz, a Redding native and bait shop owner. “I stand for almost all the things that he’s done.”
Others said they support him simply because he is a local farmer. “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. “I don’t know about somebody from the Bay Area with their progressive ideas.”
Newsom and other Democrats argue the measure is necessary to counter Trump’s national agenda and Republican efforts to gain seats in other states. Even if Democrats gain five more seats, it may not guarantee control of the U.S. House. Republican-led efforts in Missouri, North Carolina, Indiana, and Texas are underway to redraw maps in their favor, while Virginia lawmakers are working on a plan favorable to Democrats. All are expected to face legal challenges.
“This is not the fight we want to fight. This was not our battle,” Newsom said during a recent virtual event. “This is in reaction to something unprecedented that happened.”
For residents of Redding, however, the measure is seen as another attempt to silence rural voices. Many feel neglected by the Democratic-controlled Legislature in Sacramento, which they blame for rising living costs and limiting local control. In 2023, state lawmakers barred most counties from hand-counting ballots after Shasta leaders voted to remove their vote-counting machines.
Some worry that national Republicans won’t invest enough to protect the seats if the measure passes. “You would have to spend a huge amount of money to reach your base,” Jones said. “And they’re just simply not going to want to waste that money because it would be better spent elsewhere.”