From Texas Maps to Pasadena Streets Rally Signals Escalation in Redistricting Wars

Local activists plan to march in Old Pasadena this Saturday, September 27, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 2 East Colorado Blvd., near the Cheesecake Factory, rallying behind Proposition 50—the Election Rigging Response Act—which seeks to temporarily override California’s independent redistricting commission in direct response to Republican gerrymandering in Texas.

Proposition 50 represents California’s first-ever abandonment of its nonpartisan map-drawing system and is framed by supporters as an emergency measure to offset what they call the illegal removal of five Democratic seats in Texas, ahead of the November 4 special election.

“Prop 50 is essentially California’s response to Texas illegal gerrymandering and taking of five Democratic seats. Prop 50 is in response to that,” said Maddie Gavel-Briggs of San Gabriel Foothills Indivisible, the lead organizing group for the event.

The Yes on Prop 50 rally, described by organizers as both a visibility event and educational effort, will feature a march through Old Pasadena, sign displays, and one-on-one outreach to distribute educational materials about the ballot measure.

San Gabriel Foothills Indivisible’s grassroots campaign has included canvassing the Pasadena City College flea market and Pasadena Farmers Market, where generally favorable responses have been met, but there are some people that are concerned that “we’re on that slippery slope of devolving into that kind of autocratic behavior,” Gavel-Briggs acknowledged.

Organizers initially sought to collaborate with Representative Judy Chu, but proceeded independently due to scheduling constraints.

Proposition 50, the Election Rigging Response Act, is a legislatively referred constitutional amendment that allows the state legislature to adopt congressional district maps for the 2026, 2028 and 2030 elections.

After 2030, authority reverts to the independent Citizens Redistricting Commission, reaffirming the measure’s temporary nature.

“Prop 50 temporarily redraws some districts in California to reclaim those five Democratic seats temporarily. In the year 2030, which is just less than four years, it’ll return to the independent Redistrict and Commission,” said Gavel-Briggs.

Broader organizing aimed at educating voters also includes volunteer opportunities such as postcard writing, phone banking, text banking and canvassing in Pasadena, Arcadia, East Los Angeles and Hastings Ranch.

Information about these opportunities and registration can be found at mobilize.us and stopelectionrigging.com.

The intensity of political debate around Proposition 50 reflects the scale of its impact.

Supporters, including Governor Newsom, Nancy Pelosi and a broad Democratic coalition, argue the measure is necessary to maintain fairness in U.S. House elections, while opposition—including California Republican leaders and former Governor Schwarzenegger—calls the plan a partisan power grab that undermines the state’s famed redistricting commission.

“We did not start this fight, we are responding to their fight with all we have because people are sick of, and this is, a lot of people have said this, they’re sick and tired of having these arbitrarily decided laws and these kind of non-democratic norms forced on them,” Gavel-Briggs said, spotlighting the defensive framing of the local organizing effort.

Whatever side of the issue you’re on, California’s offering voters the opportunity to vote, which is Democratic—in Texas, they did not have that opportunity.

“It was arbitrarily and illegally acted upon,” Gavel-Briggs stated, noting the difference between California’s process and its Texas counterpart.

Beyond Saturday’s rally, San Gabriel Foothills Indivisible plans continued engagement through a No Kings Rally on October 18 at Pasadena City Hall and one-on-one outreach.

Organizers are aware of a concurrent statewide event—a human chain running from Oceanside to Santa Monica to Malibu—but have chosen to focus on local, in-person voter education.

Polls show voters sharply divided, with an Emerson College poll from September showing 51 percent of likely voters in support of Proposition 50 and 39 percent opposed.

The Legislative Analyst’s Office projects only minor costs of up to a few million dollars for implementation.

The November 4 special election offers California voters a pivotal decision whether to justify emergency legislative intervention in redistricting or to uphold the state’s tradition of nonpartisan, commission-led map-drawing.

As Gavel-Briggs summarized, “We needed to get involved immediately to activate constituents, activate the public, educate the public, and get the word out there that this initiative has to pass to keep our democracy even remotely on a level playing field.”