California Governor Gavin Newsom had a chance to clear the air this week. Instead, he ducked.
At a press conference on August 14, Newsom was asked a direct question: Why weren’t Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas and Senate Pro Tem Mike McGuire – two of the main architects behind Proposition 50, the new Democrat redistricting measure – standing next to him to defend their plan?
Both lawmakers were nowhere to be found.
Rather than answer, Newsom brushed it off and scolded them for being absent “too often” from these kinds of events.
But he never addressed the bigger issue – whether the maps were drawn to help their own political futures. That silence spoke volumes.
Proposition 50, pushed through with a controversial “gut and amend” maneuver, would redraw California’s congressional districts in response to Texas Republicans adding five new GOP-friendly seats.
The stated goal is to “fight fire with fire” by flipping at least five Republican-held seats in California back to the Democrats.
The problem?
Voters in California already created an independent Citizens Redistricting Commission back in 2008 and reaffirmed it in 2010.
That commission was supposed to end the practice of politicians picking their own voters.
And according to a poll released this summer, 64 percent of Californians still support keeping the commission.
Now, Newsom and his allies are asking voters to approve what critics call the “Election Rigging Response Act” in a November 4 special election.
The elephant in the room is whether Prop 50 is really about fairness – or about personal gain.
The reporter’s question hit on this: could Rivas and McGuire be eyeing congressional runs themselves, and did they shape maps to carve out their own districts?
Newsom didn’t answer. He dodged. And that raised even more suspicion.
Sam Mirejovsky, a Nevada radio host and attorney, nailed it when he said:
“Where’s the tough-talking social media superstar of the Democratic Party? Where’s the ALL CAPS energy? Hours before this presser, Newsom’s online chatbot praised ‘MAGIC MIKE & RAINMAKER ROBERT’—heroic defenders of DEMOCRACY! It’s all fake.”
Where’s the tough-talking social media superstar of the Democratic Party? Where’s the ALL CAPS energy?
Hours before this presser, Newsom’s online chatbot praised “MAGIC MIKE & RAINMAKER ROBERT”—heroic defenders of DEMOCRACY!
It’s all fake.pic.twitter.com/u3tZMu5Eob
— Sam Mirejovsky (@whatsrightsam) August 23, 2025
That quote cuts to the heart of it.
Newsom can fire off slogans on X all day long. But when faced with a real question, he shrinks back into talking points.
Folks in Nevada have a special reason to pay attention.
Our state has been through its own bruising battles over redistricting, with Democrats carving up congressional maps in 2021 that critics said were designed to lock in their own power.
Republicans here challenged those maps in court, but the Nevada Supreme Court allowed them to stand.
The result? Competitive districts were chopped up, and GOP leaders warned it would silence rural voices.
Sound familiar?
What’s happening in California looks like the same playbook, just on steroids.
Republicans in California have already filed suit to block Prop 50, saying it violates the state’s constitution by skipping the required 30-day waiting period before legislative votes.
They also argue it undermines the independent commission voters fought to create in the first place.
Even some independents and moderates are uneasy. The rushed process – crafted behind closed doors with little public input – looks like backroom politics at its worst.
And while Democrats are plastering stages with “YES ON 50” signs and rolling out big names like Barack Obama, Kamala Harris, Adam Schiff, and Alex Padilla, the average voter may see it differently.
Newsom frames this as a fight against Trump-backed redistricting in Texas.
But the risk is obvious: Californians don’t like politicians gaming the system, no matter the excuse. They created the Citizens Redistricting Commission for a reason.
By ducking the question, Newsom may have revealed more than if he’d answered honestly.
Nevadans should take note.
Power-hungry politicians in California are testing just how far they can bend the rules to get their way. If it works there, you can bet it’ll be tried elsewhere.
For now, the governor’s silence is louder than his soundbites.
The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Nevada News & Views. This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
