New poll shows majority of California voters support Prop. 50

PROMISING POLLING FOR PROP. 50

A new poll of Californians likely to vote in November 4th’s special election shows the majority support Prop. 50, the state’s redistricting measure.

Fifty-four percent said they support the measure, compared to 36% who oppose it and 10% who said they’re unsure.

Prop. 50 asks voters whether or not California should redraw its congressional map to improve Democrats’ chances in time for the 2026 midterm elections. The proposal was put on the ballot in response to Texas gerrymandering its map this summer to benefit Republicans.

The new poll, conducted by the research firm co/efficient, polled nearly 1,000 likely voters through text and phone calls between September 29 and October 1.

The firm also tested out some of the messaging that’s been circulating in ads since the legislature approved a special election to consider Prop. 50. It looked at how likely voters were swayed by ‘No on Prop. 50’ arguments that the proposition is anti-democratic, expensive and sets a dangerous precedent versus ‘Yes on Prop. 50’ arguments that it preserves democracy, pushes back against Trump and is supported by Gov. Gavin Newsom and Barack Obama.

Voters seemed to be more influenced by the ‘Yes’ arguments than the ‘No’ ones in the poll — they were 47-57% more likely to vote for the measure after hearing affirmative arguments, and only 37-44% less likely to vote for it after hearing the opposing side.

The Secretary of State’s Cal-Access website shows over $131 million has been spent on campaigning for the measure.

DEMS DEMAND ANSWERS

Via David Lightman

Congressional Democrats, led by Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Long Beach, are launching an investigation of 24 major federal agencies over threats to fire employees as the federal government shutdown continues.

Garcia, the top Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, called the potential firings “both malicious and without a doubt illegal.”

The committee’s Democrats, including California’s Ro Khanna, Dave Min and Lateefah Simon, sent letters to the agencies saying any such firings “must be understood as part of a longstanding attempt by extremists within the administration to destroy essential services, and not as a necessary response to a lapse in appropriations.”

It requested several documents by October 17.

Among them: “a complete timeline and all documents and communications related to RIF (reduction in force) notices issued to agency employees after September 30, 2025” and “all documents and communications related to development and approval of suggested out of office replies, web page notices, or other public-facing shutdown notification.”

They also want all documents and communications involving reorganization plans relating to the potential firings.

Trump last week threatened mass firings but the White House appears to have softened its stance somewhat.

Sunday, Trump economic adviser Kevin Hassett told CNN’s “State of the Union”: “If the president decides that the negotiations are absolutely going nowhere, that there, you know, there will start to be layoffs.”

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Threats against me are referred to the US Marshals. There have been several tonight. We will tolerate no such threats by woke idiots, including those who work for @GavinNewsom.”

— Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon wrote on social media on Sunday in an apparent reference to an earlier post by Newsom spokesperson Izzy Gardon linking the destruction of the home of a South Carolina judge to Dhillon’s previous criticism of that judge’s ruling.

Best of The Bee:

• When will California start to really feel the pain from the federal shutdown? via David Lightman
• Federal judge blocks Trump from sending California National Guard troops to Oregon via Lia Russell
• How CapRadio’s ex-treasurer brokered $1.1M in contracts — with his own company via Ishani Desai

This story was originally published October 7, 2025 at 4:55 AM.