Simple truth is, Donald Trump put Prop. 50 on the ballot. The Nov. 4 statewide special election is being held in direct response to Trump’s attempt to avoid losing power over Congress in the 2026 mid-terms, when Democrats are expected to regain the House of Representatives. Texas and other Republican-led states are willing co-conspirators in this travesty, and Californians must fight to keep their fair share of representation.

In an ideal world we would ride out the current maps as they were drawn and adopted by the state’s independent redistricting commission. Prop. 50 leaves that same process in place for the maps that will be drawn following the 2030 U.S. Census.

Of note, the current maps aren’t perfect. You can see them in your voter information guide, along with the one-time maps that will be used for 2026 mid-term elections if Prop. 50 passes. Lake County would get a second congressional representative vs. only one, and that’s not a bad thing.

Let’s mess with Texas. We're bigger and better than they are. Fight to ensure the 2026 mid-terms are not locked up in advance. Put California back on the moral high ground, using Trump’s constant attempts to rig elections in his favor as a powerful argument to make independent redistricting the national law of the land.

Californians can and will beat Trump and Texas at their own wicked games. We didn’t start this fight, but we can end it in the most democratic way possible: a statewide election. Yes on Prop. 50.

Michael S. Green lives in Lakeport, California.