Proposition 50 makes North State region competitive for Democrats, Chico State University professor jumps in new race
In an off-year election that saw Democratic candidates win big across the country, California’s redistricting initiative, Proposition 50, won by almost 30 points.
The results came early Tuesday night as the Associated Press called the victory moments after polls closed at 8 p.m. It means that five California congressional districts, including Chico’s District #1, will be reshaped to create advantages for Democratic candidates in the 2026 elections.
Of the state’s 58 counties, 33 passed Proposition 50. In Butte County, Proposition 50 lost by a margin of 54.2% to 45.8%.
While every county in the North State except Humbolt and Mendicino voted down the proposition, ‘yes’ votes from larger population areas overwhelmed the tallies. In Southern California, only Kern, Kings and Tulare Counties voted ‘no.’
“It was a victory for the United States of America, for the people of this country, the principles that our Founding Fathers lived and died for,” said Governor Gavin Newsom from the Democratic Party headquarters in Sacramento.
“I hope it’s dawning on people, in the sobriety of this moment, what’s at stake,” he added.
Proposition 50 was in direct response to the Texas legislature’s actions earlier this year to create the same five-seat advantage for Republicans at the request of President Trump.
While labeling California’s election “rigged,” Trump encouraged all states with Republican majority legislatures to redraw their congressional districts in favor of Republicans.
In Newsom’s victory speech, he also called on legislatures in Democrat majority states of Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, New York and Virginia to make this redistricting fight a national one.
“We need to see other states to meet this moment head on as well,” Newsom suggested, “to realize what we’re up against is 2026.”
According to the proposition itself, California’s redistricting maps will revert to being drawn by an independent commission in 2031.
California’s new First Congressional District
Changes are coming right away for residents of California’s Congressional District #1.
The new district map still includes Butte, Glenn, Lassen, Plumas, Sierra and Tehama Counties. Chico is still the single largest city in District #1.
But Colusa, Modoc, Shasta, Siskiyou, Sutter and Yuba Counties have been replaced by Lake, Eastern Mendicino and Northern Sonoma counties, which have more Democrats along the Highway 101 corridor and particularly in northeast Santa Rosa.
Although they are more liberal counties, Lake, Mendicino and Sonoma have important similarities to the current District #1 counties.
Farming amounts to $133 million annually in Mendicino County, $140 million in Lake County and $857 million in Sonoma County (compared to Butte County’s $574 million). Wine grape farmers in this region could provide a strong economic alignment and increased political clout for Butte County’s almond and walnut farmers.
Likewise, wildfires and fire mitigation are big concerns in the three new counties. Since 2015, Lake County alone has endured nine large wildfires. In 2017, the Mendicino Complex Fire burned close to a half-million acres north of Clear Lake, and Santa Rosa’s Tubbs Fire was the deadliest ever until surpassed by 2018’s Camp Fire in Paradise.
Representative Doug LaMalfa has held the District #1 seat since 2013 and has never come close to losing a race. But now the Republican rice farmer from Richvale will be considered an underdog in a 2026 race that should favor Democrats.
In a press release on election night LaMalfa said, “Our constitution lost out to a pile of money and shameful deception in one of the most blatant power grabs I’ve ever seen.”
LaMalfa explained that “the imbalance in California between urban and rural voices will get that much worse, eventually silencing our portion of the state.”
“Those of us who support fair maps will continue to oppose Newsom’s scheme, and we expect to file suit on Wednesday,” LaMalfa’s statement concluded.
Democrat Audrey Denney enters the race
There are four Democrats who have filed candidacy for the District #1 race in 2026. But two of them, Rose Yee and James Salegui, live in Shasta County which is now outside the new district map. A third candidate, Casey Stewart, has yet to submit any campaign information to the public, according to Ballotpedia.
Democrat Audrey Denney from Chico lives within the new district and has already announced her candidacy for the seat. With Proposition 50’s new map, she might be considered the leading candidate.
Denney is a Communications professor from Chico State University who ran unsuccessful campaigns against LaMalfa in 2018 and 2020. Back then she received 45% and 43% of the votes, respectively. This time Denney feels the wind at her back as the District #1 race is predicted to generate more campaign donations than in previous elections.
News & Review caught up with Ms. Denney to ask about her campaign after Proposition 50’s big win.
“There are three main issues that tie this district together,” said Denney. “The first is the affordability crisis; health care premiums rising, childcare costs rising, grocery costs rising.”
Denney also cited access to health care.
“Glenn County Medical Center shut down,” she went on. “The clinic in Lake County is threatened. There are counties where women cannot deliver babies in the Eastern Sierra and now everyone from Glenn County has to come into Enloe [hospital].”
Thirdly, Denney wants agricultural policies that address farmers’ needs while turning back the clock on climate change. She sees agriculture, fire mitigation, forestry policy and land management as inter-related issues.
“That includes…getting our federal forests into better shape so they can actually be sequestering carbon instead of releasing carbon in these massive wildfires,” Denney noted.
On human dignity and LGBTQ+ rights, Denney also had a lot to say, including, “Every single person should have access to the American Dream no matter who they love, what they look like, how much money they have or what language they speak.”
Drawing from her faith and human rights background, Denney added that she wants everybody to live with freedom from fear and with economic opportunity.
“It is absolutely core to what I believe,” she said.
We see you little man. We see your puny character and your snivelling dishonesty. He has the absolute audacity to hurl accusations of harm to the constitution and “blatant power grabs” at Newsom when he knows full well it was his greedy buddy in Texas who conceived and executed the idea first. Did you hear him say anything about that? I didn’t. We see you now as we show you the door. We see how you don’t have any esteem for the truth. You are a blackguard, sir!
Here, here! Absolutely spot on! That people like LaMalfa and Mike Johnson hurl these epithets at the Dems–indicating exactly what THEY are doing!–is just pathetic.
LaMalfa is a lame duck whose time has gone. Move out of the way and let progress come to these counties that have suffered so long under Republican neglect and grift.
I have been writing to LaMalfa for years. Always got a reply A LAME one but hey, he responding. I still write to him but does he reply. That would be a big fat NO! So the Doug might finally be getting the idea that now, in this political climate with thousands of his constituents about to lose their food stamps and will not know where there next meal is going to come from, just might affect how they vote going forward. I’m smiling. Hope he holds another disastrous town hall meeting soon!
“Chico is still the single largest city in District #1.” Nope, that will be Santa Rosa, which has over 50,000 more residents than Chico.