Did CA Democrats Manipulate Prop 50 Maps For Political Insiders?

Editor’s note: This article has been edited to include a comment from Rivas’ campaign spokesperson Elizabeth Ashford.

As Governor Gavin Newsom and California Democrats try to “Trump Proof” California through his $300 million Prop 50 pet project, and Attorney General Rob Bonta files over three dozen lawsuits against the administration, all signs point to Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas positioning himself for a congressional run in one of the new “open” seats that could be created if Proposition 50 passes.

Under the proposed Prop 50 map, the California’s new 18th District would shift slightly to the right about 1.1 percent more Republican, predominantly Latino, but still safely Democratic. The redraw conveniently splits Rivas off into a more favorable district, away from Rep. Zoe Lofgren, who currently represents the 18th.

Speaker Rivas recently released a new ad supporting Prop 50, a ballot measure critics say would let Sacramento politicians redraw congressional maps mid-decade, effectively choosing their own voters. 

“This isn’t the America that we know that welcomed my grandfather as an immigrant farm worker sending troops into our cities expanding ICE’s overreach, ordering arrests without warrants. Donald Trump wants to be a tyrant. We must fight back to protect our families, to protect our communities, and to protect our elections. Vote yes on Proposition 50. Enough is enough,” Rivas says in the ad.

What’s interesting is that Rivas has been running ads in the region long before Prop 50 was even on the ballot, signaling a slow-burn name ID play in the very area that would become his political launchpad under the newly redrawn lines.

Back in February, Rivas feigned his concern for his constituents, and surprisingly admitted that California Democrats have created the cost of living crisis that plagues all Californians:

“As I said in December, our constituents don’t feel the state of California is working for them, and their primary concern is the cost of living here at home.

We all know that because they’re telling us that repeatedly. So our task is urgent and it’s clear: To make life more affordable for every resident.

Of course, we will face challenges that we don’t know are coming—like the horrific fires in Los Angeles. Unfortunately, we know that more challenges will come.

And these are times when we must come together to find consensus. Not rush to social media, to point fingers, or to dis-inform.

Our job, above all else, is to protect our residents whether the threat is wildfires, other natural disasters or threats to their civil liberties and freedoms.

Let me be blunt – right now, Californians are being threatened by an out-of-control administration in Washington—that doesn’t care about the Constitution… and thinks there are no limits to its power.

Increasingly, our own residents are being threatened by actions taken by the Trump administration, and it is our duty to rise to the moment.

We must ensure that our residents receive the federal services and benefits that they have contributed to and that they deserve.

Given the many executive orders that have been issued over the past two weeks I can say with clarity that we do not trust President Donald Trump.”

Rivas and Governor Newsom are not running to fix the cost of living crisis they have created in Sacramento, they are not running to “come together to find consensus,” they are running against an administration elected by nearly 40 percent of Californians, in an election where Trump flipped 10 California counties.

Are Sacramento Democrats manipulating redistricting not for fairness or representation, but for ambition? Should Prop 50 pass, it will abolish any Republican representation conservative Californians voted for to protect themselves from Sacramento’s insatiable appetite to grow government and raise taxes.

Prop 50 is being sold as “reform,” but in practice, it looks like a power play to carve out congressional seats for insiders like Rivas.

“Prop 50 does not put the Speaker in a new district, and he has enthusiastically endorsed Rep. Lofgren for re-election. In fact, Prop 50 makes District 18 less Blue and includes areas Speaker Rivas has never represented. He’s 100% focused on his job, he’s not running for any other office, and his priority is stopping Trump’s power grab,” wrote Rivas’ Campaign Spokesperson Elizabeth Ashford in an email to The Globe. 

Editor’s (Megan Barth) response via email to Ashford: 

As I understand the maps under the proposed lines, a vast majority of Robert Rivas’ Assembly District, including his hometown of Hollister, would be absorbed into the 18th Congressional District. The expansion opens up the district to benefit Rivas. 

I understand that the 18th district is currently represented by Lofgren, but under the proposed “new” lines, Lofgren’s residence would now fall into the 16th Congressional District, thereby opening the 18th for a possible run for Rivas. Whoever drew the maps moved Lofgren into a neighboring district. 

The boundaries of both districts have changed significantly, thereby “new.” 

The 18th becomes a logical and politically favorable seat for a congressional run by Rivas and that is why I pose the question, not a statement of fact, of a potential congressional run. 

There are many democratic incumbents with primary challengers throughout the country, including California, so the potential of a congressional run is a valid question.

I fail to find the “blatant inaccuracies” in my reporting, but perhaps it is a simple misunderstanding as there are many unanswered questions and related concerns surrounding Prop 50. 

I have included your comment in the article per your request and for our readers.