The Temecula City Council last week adopted a resolution opposing Proposition 50, also known as the Election Rigging Response Act, in a 4-1 vote with Councilmember Zak Schwank voting against.
“I think as a city, we should probably just stay out of it,” Schwank said at the September 23 meeting. “Something as contentious as this, I think we should just stay out of it.”
Proposition 50 is a constitutional amendment that, if approved by voters on November 4, would authorize the state to adopt new congressional district maps drawn by the legislature for use in the 2026, 2028 and 2030 U.S. House elections.
The item was brought to the council by Mayor Pro Tem Jessica Alexander, who said that the council had to think about what was best for Temecula.
“The truth is that Temecula has benefited for many years under the existing representation of our representatives, such as Ken Calvert (R-Corona) and Darrell Issa (R-Bonsall),” she said. “They have done a great job helping our city directly here in Temecula.”
Regardless of whether Proposition 50 passes or fails, Temecula will remain in the 48th district, currently represented by Issa. However, if the ballot measure passes, the district would swing 18.4 points to the left, giving Democrats an edge in the current Republican stronghold, according to an analysis by nonprofit Ballotpedia.
“I’m going to take away the red, I’m going to take away the blue, I’m going to take away the purple, I’m going to take everything else away,” Alexander said. “This is not something I believe that is beneficial for our city, and I believe it’s something that may just hinder our city as well.”
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Mayor Brenen Kalfus, who was with city staff in Washington, D.C., the week before the meeting, said the group met with both Calvert and Issa during the trip.
“This affects them directly, and affects our representation, so both our congressmen were against Proposition 50,” Kalfus said. “They both, in their private and public capacity, stated they’re against Prop 50.”
Kalfus said that while he understood the reasoning behind the effort, namely mid-decade partisan redistricting in Texas, he said he “fundamentally disagree[d]” with the legislature redrawing lines in the middle of the cycle.
“Our voters voted for a fair, non-partisan redistricting in 2008,” he said. “To me, this is simply revenge politics, it’s not a model for responsible government.”
That sentiment was echoed across the dais, with every single member of the council speaking out against partisan gerrymandering.
“Two wrongs don’t make a right, so that’s where I sit,” Councilmember James “Stew” Stewart said. “This is wrong in Texas, it’s wrong in California.”
Despite the vote in support of the resolution against the proposition, the council members said the city would continue to work with elected officials at the federal level while urging voters to do the work to understand the ballot initiative and come to their own conclusions.
“It’s really incumbent upon people to do their homework and not listen to the…political ads they see on the news or on TV or social media and really read and try to understand what’s happening,” Schwank said. “Not just for this, but for every election, and to become more informed and, within your networks, try to learn about politics and what’s actually happening.”
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