LOS ANGELES: California voted overwhelmingly to redraw its electoral districts on Tuesday (Nov 4), in a ballot Democrats known as to counter efforts by US President Donald Trump to gerrymander in Republican states.
Early outcomes confirmed a big majority within the historically liberal state voted in favour of a movement that was extensively promoted as a chance to “stick it to Trump”.
Voters authorized of Proposition 50 by a margin of two-to-one, early official outcomes confirmed, with main media retailers projecting it might retain a major majority when the ultimate tally is counted.
The result’s an enormous win for Governor Gavin Newsom, who’s more and more staking his declare to management of the Democratic Get together on his willingness to face as much as Trump.
“We’re pleased with the work that the individuals of the state of California did tonight to ship a strong message to … essentially the most traditionally unpopular president in trendy historical past,” Newsom stated because the outcomes got here in.
Newsom and his allies requested voters to approve a brief re-drawing of electoral districts that would give the Democratic Get together 5 extra seats within the scramble for management of the US Congress in subsequent yr’s midterm elections.
Republicans complained it was an influence seize that will disenfranchise the celebration’s voters in California.
Democrats stated they had been merely making an attempt to stage the taking part in area after Texas Republicans pushed through their own redistricting – underneath White Home stress – to assist keep a slim Congressional majority that has thus far given Trump carte blanche.
“Donald Trump is underneath water. He promised to make us more healthy. He promised to make us wealthier. We’re sicker and poorer, and he understands that,” Newsom stated.
“Why else is he making an attempt to rig the midterm elections earlier than one single vote is even solid?”
“RIGGED”
TV commercials for the “Sure” marketing campaign gleefully imagined an irate Trump watching the outcomes on tv as he rambled incoherently and threw French fries on the display.
The president – whose enmity in direction of California has been a recurring theme in his decade in nationwide politics – was clearly irritated by the poll initiative.
“The Unconstitutional Redistricting Vote in California is a GIANT SCAM in that all the course of, particularly the Voting itself, is RIGGED,” Trump wrote on social media Tuesday, with out providing any proof.
