On Wednesday, October 22, 2025, former President Barack Obama delivered a forceful rebuke of what he characterized as a brazen Republican effort to manipulate congressional district maps across the country, joining California Governor Gavin Newsom on a volunteer call to rally support for a controversial ballot measure that could reshape the balance of power in the U.S. House of Representatives ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Obama told volunteers that President Donald Trump and his administration have made clear “they want to change the rules of the game midstream in order to insulate ourselves from the people’s judgment.” The former president described the Republican redistricting push as unprecedented in its transparency, noting that party leaders were not even attempting to justify their actions with alternative rationales. They were, he indicated, simply acting because they believed they could get away with it.
The call focused specifically on Proposition 50, a California ballot measure that would temporarily suspend the state’s independent redistricting commission to allow lawmakers to redraw congressional maps in direct response to Republican gerrymandering efforts in Texas, North Carolina, and other GOP-controlled states. The measure, which will be decided by voters on November 4, could eliminate as many as five Republican-held House seats in California while bolstering Democratic incumbents in battleground districts.
If approved, the new political map could increase California’s Democratic congressional delegation from 43 to 48 seats out of the state’s 52 total districts. Obama emphasized that the passage of Proposition 50 would have critical implications extending far beyond California’s borders, offering Democrats a chance to create what he described as a level playing field for the upcoming midterm elections.
The former president framed the battle over redistricting as part of a broader struggle over democratic principles, arguing that fundamental questions about whether democracy could be manipulated by those already in power to entrench themselves further were at stake. He contended that the Republican strategy represented an attempt to tinker with electoral maps before elections they feared losing, giving themselves an unfair advantage.
Obama also appeared in a 30-second advertisement released the previous week warning voters that democracy itself was on the ballot. In the ad, he looked directly into the camera and told viewers they could stop Republicans in their tracks, accusing the party of attempting to steal enough congressional seats to rig future elections and wield unchecked power.
The redistricting fight has become a high-stakes political chess match between the nation’s two most populous states. Trump has actively pressured Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Republican legislators to approve new congressional maps designed to add five GOP-leaning seats, arguing that Republicans are entitled to additional representation based on his 2024 election victory in the state. The Texas congressional delegation currently consists of 25 Republicans, 12 Democrats, and one vacant seat that leans Democratic.
North Carolina Republican legislative leaders have also announced plans to redraw their state’s House district map, responding to Trump’s call to secure more GOP seats nationwide. Republicans currently hold a narrow 219-213 majority in the U.S. House, with three vacancies, making the redistricting battle particularly consequential for control of the chamber during the 2026 midterms.
Democratic governors in Illinois and New York have similarly pledged to pursue their own redistricting efforts if Republican-led states proceed with their plans. In California, House Democrats in the state legislature advanced measures during the first week of August that could create up to six new gerrymandered Democratic congressional seats to offset Republican redistricting in Texas and elsewhere.
Republicans and other opponents of Proposition 50 have characterized the measure as a Democratic power grab that would dismantle district lines crafted by an independent commission created by California voters more than a decade ago. They argue that abandoning the nonpartisan redistricting process would undermine democratic principles that both parties once supported.
Newsom has framed the special election as a referendum on Trump, who remains unpopular in liberal-leaning California outside of his conservative base. During the volunteer call, the governor thanked Obama for joining the effort and expressed hope that the gravity of the moment was becoming clear to voters. Recent polling has shown strong support for Proposition 50, and GOP-aligned groups opposing the ballot measure have reportedly scaled back advertising spending ahead of the November vote.
Traditionally, redistricting occurs on a ten-year cycle following the census, when adjustments are made to congressional districts based on population changes. The Republican push to accelerate the process and redraw maps mid-decade has prompted accusations from Democrats that the party is attempting to eliminate districts where voters have consistently backed Democratic candidates, regardless of demographic shifts or other legitimate justifications for boundary changes.
