Letter to the editor: California’s Republican voters are already unfairly represented in Congress

Editor’s note: The following is a letter to the editor. The opinions expressed in this letter are those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect those of The Mendocino Voice. If you would like to submit a letter to the editor feel free to write to info@mendovoice.com. 

Dear Editor:

Letters to the Editor by Ms. Broz (Sep. 27) and Ms. Turner (Oct. 3) urging a Yes vote on Proposition 50 cry for some context, correction and comment.  

As a Republican living on the Mendocino Coast for 30 years, I can concur with Ms. Broz’s observations from the other side of the aisle. I have always regarded Democrats as friends, respected colleagues and citizens, who obviously loved our country as I do, had respect for me and an honorable view of the customs and practices that keep our republic afloat. That said, the letters referenced above, whether by commission or omission, make claims that bear some context and counter observations. 

Both letters claim that Texas “unilaterally” or President Trump “commanded” that the state redistrict its 2020 Census districts. That is simply not the case. In December 2021, the Biden Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Texas, challenging the state’s redistricting plans for congressional and state House districts, claiming they violated the Voting Rights Act by discriminating against Latino and Black voters. To settle that lawsuit, Texas agreed to a mid-census redistricting. Of course, President Trump felt obligated to urge that the new districts be Republican. Would a Democrat president have not done the same? 

Ms. Broz proudly, and justifiably so, relates her experience on the California Redistricting Commission. Let’s see how that worked out. In 2024 almost 40% (38.3) of California voters voted for President Trump. But in the state Assembly Republicans hold only 20 of 80 (25%) seats; in the state Senate only 10 of 40 (25%) seats, and in the congressional districts only nine of 52 (17%) seats. It looks like the “citizens” Redistricting Commission did a pretty good job of gerrymandering the state. Yet Prop. 50 aims to trim five or more of those nine congressional seats, reducing them to only three or four! So much for anything approaching proportional representation of the almost 40 percent who voted for President Trump.

And Ms. Broz assures readers, “And unlike Texas, California’s redistricting will be based solely on partisan considerations. Racial and ethnic balancing will remain untouched. All other district lines within California remain the same.” So, while Texas has non-partisan redistricting, CA’s will be strictly partisan. Hmmm. Of course, it boggles the mind to see how you are going to have redistricting without some ethnic/racial rebalancing and changing district lines. There’s a logical disconnect here.

Television ads and letters promote California’s Redistricting Commission as the antidote to politicians redrawing their own redistricting lines in the name of good government.  Yet Prop. 50 would override the 2020 Commission congressional district lines to create new district lines drawn by politicians. Go figure. So much for good government. 

The sad part is that the die has already been cast. CA is already running a 2026 budget deficit of $12-$20 billion, and King Gavin and Democrats in the state legislature, led in part by our own Senator Mike McGuire, Senate Pro-Tem Chair, have voted to spend an additional $250+ million on the Prop. 50 referendum, money that could have been better used for more teachers, firefighters, police, water storage, highways, wildfire suppression, the homeless, etc. Rather than trying to “fix” national politics, wouldn’t it be better to fix California first? 

More likely, King Gavin is using redistricting congressional districts as a cover to burnish his “Resister” image nationally to promote his presidential ambitions in 2028. And thanks to his sycophants in the legislature, he’s doing it with your taxpayer money. 

The U.S. Constitution begins, “We the People… .” not “We the Politicians… .” If the current congressional districts, drawn by the citizens, aren’t broke, don’t fix them.  California for Californians!

Vote No on Proposition 50.

Stan Anderson, past chair, Mendocino County Republican Central Committee