Mid-Cycle and Money Measures

By Ayush Deshpande   Dec. 11, 2025

Dilara Varoglu Art

On Nov. 4, several elections were held across the state of California, leading to measures such as Proposition 50, Santa Clara County Measure A, Delano Measure B and McFarland Measure C being passed. Proposition 50 authorizes California State legislature to begin a mid-cycle redistricting of the state’s congressional maps. Measure A will raise the county sales tax to 9.75% for the next five years, and Delano Measure B and McFarland Measure C will raise to 8.25% and 9.25%, respectively.

Proponents frame Proposition 50 as a response to President Donald Trump’s call for redistricting of Republican states. Typically, the midterms following a presidential election see a change in power in Congress, with the party not in power (this year the Democrats) retaining control of Congress. By calling on Republican states to redistrict, Trump hoped to give his party in the upcoming midterm to counteract possible Democrat gains.

The first state to begin redistricting was Texas this July, adding five Republican seats to Congress byn “packing” or “splitting” voters of certain political parties into the same district. Packing makes one district heavily Democratic so that other districts favor Republicans, winning in numbers; splitting involves scattering Democrats across districts so most districts have a Republican majority. Democratic congressional leaders like House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries urged California Governor Gavin Newsom to respond in the same way. Proposition 50’s proposed map would add five more Democratic seats to California’s congressional delegation, countering Texas.

“Proposition 50 increases trust in the political process since we were allowed to vote on it, but the ongoing back and forth between Democratic and Republican states in redistricting to maintain equal party lines will increase polarization,” Senior Aria Das said.

Per the KCRA, California Republican Congressmen Doug LaMalfa, Kevin Kiley, David Valadao, Ken Calvert and Darrel Issa are all very likely to lose their seats in the upcoming midterm, swinging the projected results of the 2026 midterms back towards the Democrats’ advantage. Additionally, it has elevated the national pedigree of California Governor Gavin Newsom, who could utilize the success of Proposition 50 as an electoral boost for a potential presidential run in 2028.

While much of the state and national attention was centered around Proposition 50, Santa Clara County Measure A raised the county sales tax from 9.125% to 9.75% in response to federal cuts from President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The new revenue from the tax hike would provide the county with an additional $330 million annually to keep hospitals open despite federal budget cuts.

“As long as the money is allocated to hospitals and used responsibly, this tax hike is highly beneficial. Hospitals provide life-saving care, making such investment crucial,” Sophomore Marco Bibiano said.

Additionally, the city of Delano passed Measure B, raising the city’s sales tax from 7.25% to 8.25%. It would generate $8.5 million per year, to keep the city’s essential services operating at full budget. McFarland also passed its own sales tax increase, Measure C, to raise their sales tax from 8.25% to 9.25%, similarly to help keep their own essential services open.

Although Proposition 50 and Measures A, B and C all passed with comfortable margins, there still is concern over their impact. Areas targeted by Proposition 50 include Orange County and East

San Diego, which contain strong Republican districts. Under the redistricted map, these areas would be broken into several Democratic districts, spreading out Republican residents’ influence. This caused many Republican East County and Orange County residents to voice concerns over whether their issues will be fairly represented in Congress. There was also much opposition to Measure A—among the most vocal opponents was former Saratoga Council Member Rishi Kumar, who accused the county of using tax funds to influence the vote through a taxpayer-funded mailer sent to residents before the election.

The outcome of the November elections represents a significant shift for California. Proposition 50 has dealt a major blow to the state Republican Party as it is poised to lose over half its representation in Congress in the next election. Measures A, B and C could help stave off the federal budget cuts and keep hospitals and essential services open.

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About the Contributors

Ayush Deshpande  

Staff Writer

Ayush Deshpande is a junior at Leland High School, he is a staff writer for the charger account. He is very interested in Formula One, Legos, Star Wars, and when not at school or playing video games he is often found at K1 Speed or his freinds houses.

Dilara Varoglu

Artist