MENDOCINO CO., 11/5/25 – Mendocino County voters overwhelmingly approved Proposition 50, the statewide redistricting measure, according to the county’s election office.
As of Wednesday morning, 65% of Mendocino County voters supported the initiative — almost 1.9 percentage points higher than the statewide approval rate of 63.8%. All precincts have reported, with 39.7% of the county’s registered voters casting ballots in the special election.
Now, the work begins to replace the congressional district maps drawn by the California Citizens Redistricting Commission with new maps designed to give Democrats an advantage. The measure follows similar moves in Texas, where lawmakers recently redrew districts to benefit Republicans.
Under the new maps, Mendocino County will continue to be split between two congressional districts — the 2nd District, represented by U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, which includes the coast, and the 1st District, represented by U.S. Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Richvale, which covers inland areas.
LaMalfa’s 1st District will undergo significant changes, losing conservative strongholds such as Redding and Modoc County and gaining more Democratic-leaning areas, including Ukiah and Santa Rosa.
Huffman’s 2nd District, in turn, will absorb parts of LaMalfa’s former territory, taking in Redding and Modoc County alongside Marin County and the coastal portions of Sonoma and Mendocino counties.
Those shifts are expected to make both districts more favorable to Democrats and could influence how local priorities — including forest management, rural infrastructure, and tribal affairs — are represented in Congress.
Under Proposition 50, the maps would revert back in 2030.
However, implementation may be delayed. On Wednesday morning, the California Republican Party filed a lawsuit in federal court seeking to block the new maps. While voters have approved the measure, its future now rests with the courts.
Soooo, looks like Willits is going to be in the 1st District, represented by U.S. Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Richvale. I would like to suggest to Representative LaMalfa that he pay Willits a personal visit. Tell the community what he is going to change or improve upon. Start making plans to address the top concerns and reassure the voting public that this can be a positive step forward. Now git to work!