MENDOCINO CO., 10/10/25 – Ballots were sent out this week to Mendocino County voters for the Nov. 4 special election to decide Proposition 50, a redistricting measure that could redraw California’s congressional maps.
Prop. 50 asks voters to approve redistricting that could favor Democrats in the 2026 midterm election.
If the measure passes, the new map would help Democrats by aiming to add five Democratic seats into the U.S. House of Representatives.
The new congressional lines would override the existing map drawn by the California Citizens Redistricting Commission, a nonpartisan group that sets boundaries for the state’s U.S. congressional districts. If the measure passes, the commission would resume drawing congressional maps in 2030, after the U.S. Census.
Prop. 50 was put on the ballot by Gov. Gavin Newsom and Democrats in the California Legislature in response to President Donald Trump’s push to redraw congressional lines in Texas.
How would a yes vote on Prop. 50 impact Mendocino County?
In Mendocino County, the passage of Prop. 50 would effectively split the county in half between two districts: District 1 and District 2.
The current U.S. representatives for those districts are Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Oroville, and Rep. Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael. If the measure passes, the western half of Mendocino County would remain in District 2, represented by Huffman, while the eastern half would move into District 1, represented by LaMalfa. If the proposition is approved, Mendocino County voters could potentially unseat LaMalfa and replace him with a Democratic representative.
According to Stephanie Burkhalter, a professor in the Department of Politics at California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, Prop. 50 is a clear move by California Democrats to take control and push back against the gerrymandering enacted in Texas.
“Some districts are going to be cracked, which means they are putting Republicans in different districts to minimize their influence,” Burkhalter said in an interview. “They are also going to pack other districts, which means they will make Democratic seats safer.”
Locally, various organizations have endorsed Prop. 50, such as the Mendocino County Democratic Central Committee and the Mendocino Women’s Political Coalition.
The Mendocino County Democratic Central Committee has consistently shared their messaging with social media campaigns, posting signs, and holding events to teach citizens about how the proposition would support the state’s Democratic representation.
“We certainly support it. We’re doing various campaign-type activities — postcards, sign distribution, and phone banking. Getting the word out is key,” said Steve Scalmanini, the co-chair of events for the Mendocino County Democratic Central Committee. “Democrats are made fun of sometimes for not asserting themselves in politics, for being too passive — and this is one where we’re not being.”
How would a no vote on Prop. 50 impact Mendocino County?
A no on Prop. 50 would maintain the same congressional districts, where LaMalfa would continue representing District 1 in its current geographical boundaries, and Huffman would continue representing District 2 in its current geographical boundaries.
Some local organizations and public officials who want to keep the same congressional districts have advocated against Prop. 50. These include the Mendocino County Republican Central Committee, the Mendocino County Farm Bureau, and Mendocino County Sheriff Matt Kendall, who was referenced in a list of 37 California sheriffs who stated they are against Prop. 50.
Jacob Brown, chair of the Mendocino County Republican Central Committee, said the special election for Prop. 50 is a clear message that Gov. Gavin Newsom and state politicians are aiming for a “power grab.”
“This isn’t about party labels. It’s about who draws the lines. Should politicians draw their own districts to keep power, or should these maps be done independently?” Brown stated in an interview. “We believe independent maps should be the rule because that’s the desire of the people.”
Brown also said that voting yes on a measure like Prop. 50 would hinder democracy and allow state politicians to make decisions on the representation of rural counties.
“I’m less worried about fairness and more worried about engineered outcomes, because engineered outcomes are how democracy gets broken, one map at a time,” Brown added.
Kendall, who has been vehemently opposed to Prop. 50, voicing his opinions at recent Board of Supervisors meetings, said in an interview that Democrats fighting with Republicans on redistricting only increases the polarization of the two parties.
“Everybody is running on this saying that it’s okay to do things wrong as long as you think the other guy is bad enough,” Kendall stated. “Nobody is going to be represented correctly, and that’s a big concern to me.”
Kendall also emphasized the importance of local jurisdictions staying out of national arguments.
“I don’t care about what they do in Texas, I care about what happens under my roof in Mendocino County,” he said. “This is a step in the wrong direction. I’ve seen some pretty heinous crimes, and I am not going to want to live in a world where the ends justify the means. Somebody needs to be the grownup in the room and say this is wrong.”
Important Dates
On Oct. 6, county elections offices began mailing ballots for the Nov. 4 special election. Ballot drop-off boxes opened on Oct. 7.
Oct. 20 is the last day to register to vote online for the special election. Voters who register after Oct. 20 must fill out a same-day voter registration application and obtain their ballot at their local county elections office in-person.
The statewide special election will be held Nov. 4, with in-person voting at the Mendocino County elections office, 501 Low Gap Road in Ukiah, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voters may also drop off their ballots at the elections office until Nov. 4.
“Right now, we already have had a few hundred people return their ballots in Ukiah,” said Katrina Bartolomie, the county‘s assessor-clerk-recorder. “All of us are figuring it will be a low turnout, but maybe it won’t be. We don’t know until further in the process.”
Wow, the resdisteicing would be great for Republican party on Mendocino County.! It’s got my vote! MAGA
As the Sheriff pointed out, two wrongs don’t make right.
It’s political maneuvering. ‘French Laundry’ Newsom is making a play for President.
Wants to look like a tough guy. He has a lot of enablers.
Vote them out!!!
If Texas Republicans hadn’t gerrymandered the state’s districts to help keep the worst president in history in office, none of this would even be considered. But they did and sane people have to fight back. A man and his party who pay no attention to the Constitution need to be dealt with, the only way to do that is to restore sanity and a belief in fairness to Congress. Checks and balances only works if the Executive branch, the judiciary, and Congress are equal. The U.S. has lost all three to authoritarianism, we need to rebalance if we are to be fair to all citizens. Vote YES!
How does my local representation have anything to do with other states districts?
Vote YES on Prop 50!
Preserve CAs legislative power, versus signing your votes in Congress over to Greg Abbott, Texas republicans, and fascists in the House.
This crisis was brought on by a conspiracy between those parties, and the tool in the White House. Newsom’s solution counteracts Abbott’s gerrymandering.
It is temporary; and it reverts to the previous scheme in 5 years. After the threat has passed.
Don’t buy the scare propaganda. The voting information manual has the right information for a correct choice. Read it.
This is not a case of two wrongs not making a right. It is a case of one wrong being addressed by action that counters that wrong in a pro-active way. Prop 50 draws lines that are not racially or ethnically biased, whereas Texas’ presidentially commanded lines are clearly biased. Prop 50’s lines have been approved by Common Cause as being racially unbiased. Prop 50 asks voters for approval. Texas does not. Prop 50 is temporary, going back to an independent Commission after the 2030 census, and last, Prop 50 recommends that ALL states use an independent Commission to draw voting districts, which would eliminate artificial, unfair gerrymandering across the country. I will vote YES on Prop 50, and recommend that you do too.