California’s Prop 50 Offers Redistricting Roadmap for Maryland, Illinois
SACRAMENTO, CA – As Maryland and Illinois prepare for their own redistricting battles, lessons from California’s recent Proposition 50 campaign – and the preemptive outreach that helped secure its passage - are gaining attention. The effort to pass Prop 50, which aimed to protect the state’s new congressional maps, highlighted the importance of transparency and direct engagement with key Democratic constituencies, notably Black, Latino, and Asian American voters.
Concerns over initial map drafts – described as “Washington-drawn” – prompted Paul Mitchell, a mapmaker involved in the process, to proactively reach out to organizations like the Black Voter Advocates, led by Albert woodson. Mitchell sought to address anxieties and ensure the maps were acceptable to the party’s core voters.
Early polling revealed important uncertainty among these groups, with nearly one in three Black, Latino, and young voters undecided about Prop 50. Mitchell responded with detailed presentations outlining the maps district by district.
“Thank goodness for Paul Mitchell,” Woodson said.”I do think that he came in and really kind of saved the day, as what we were hearing was about these sort of (Washington-drawn) maps. I think he had a very good pulse on how, you know, how we would react.”
While Woodson initially expressed concerns about potential losses of black political influence in areas like Sacramento, long Beach, eastern Contra Costa County, and Stockton, his network ultimately campaigned in favor of Prop 50. He concluded the maps largely maintained the existing power structure.
In an August 20 letter to state Sen. Isaac Bryan,D-Los Angeles,vice chair of the California Legislative black Caucus,Woodson wrote: “While not perfect,we think this map adheres to our priorities and a majority of the structure that we helped to create through the autonomous redistricting commission process. It is evident that he attempted to minimize the dilution of Black voting power (and) took into account public feedback and testimony regarding communities of interest.”
Woodson’s key takeaway for states like Maryland and Illinois embarking on their own redistricting processes is simple: prioritize transparency and consistent interaction with loyal supporters.
“Bringing folks through a process is really important to get that buy-in,” Woodson said. “You know, we certainly would have loved more of that here in California. I think that’s key to building the winning coalition that you need.”
