Live updates: Gov. Gavin Newsom celebrates Prop. 50 win at Democrats’ HQ
California voters have approved Proposition 50, which seeks to redraw boundaries for many of California’s congressional districts. The run-up to the election became a proxy war, with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s campaign positioning it as a way for Californians to fight back against Trump and policies that have been hostile to the state.
Read below for updates from Sacramento Bee reporters.
Gov. Gavin Newsom celebrates Prop. 50 win at Democrats’ HQ
Within an hour of polls closing in California, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared victory for Prop. 50 at the California Democratic Party’s headquarters in downtown Sacramento.
“No crowns, no thrones, no kings. That is what this victory represents,” Newsom said to the dozens of reporters and news cameras assembled.
“We stood tall and we stood firm in response to Donald Trump’s recklessness,” the governor said. “Tonight, after poking the bear, this bear roared with an unprecedented turnout in a special election with an extraordinary result.”
While Newsom declared victory, he pointed to the backdrop of Trump’s second term including National Guard troops sent to Los Angeles and other blue-state cities and the Department of Justice deploying election monitors to five California counties.
“He is not screwing around,” Newsom said. “So tonight, I’m proud, but I’m very mindful and sober of the moment we are living in. Donald Trump does not believe in fair and free elections, period and full stop.”
The governor, who’s widely expected to run for president in 2028, also called on other Democratic-led states including Virginia, Maryland, New York and Colorado to follow suit and redraw their congressional maps to counter Republican redistricting.”
“Let me make this crystal clear: we can de facto end Donald Trump’s presidency as we know it, the minute speaker Jeffries gets sworn in as Speaker of the House of Representatives,” if Democrats take back the House in 2026, he said.
— Nicole Nixon
Update: 9:39 p.m.
California Republicans respond to the passage of Prop. 50: “It’s a sad day.”
California Republicans cast the passage of Prop. 50 as a campaign duping voters by “political insiders” who took away power from an independent redistricting commission.
“It’s a sad day when it comes to Prop. 50 because the people of California have been lied to,” said Assemblymember David Tangipa, a Fresno Republican, during a news conference Tuesday just after Prop. 50 soared to victory.
He accused Gov. Gavin Newsom of touting “emotionally charged” arguments to get residents to “vote against their best interests.” The ballot measure bypasses the California Citizens Redistricting Commission, hailed as a nonpartisan method to carve congressional districts.
But the passage of Prop. 50 is just a preview of a fight to come, he said.
The initiative, backed by Newsom, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco and other prominent California Democrats, does not address pressing quality of life issues such as homelessness and crime, said California Republican Party Chairwoman Corrin Rankin during the news conference.
“I truly believe the Republican Party is on the right side of history,” Rankin said.
She referenced how Rep. Ami Bera, a Sacramento Democrat, already announced his election campaign for the Third Congressional seat. The district, which includes most of Placer County and runs into Death Valley, is represented by Rep. Kevin Kiley, a Roseville Republican.
“This is exactly why they did this,” Rankin said, in reference to Prop. 50, “because they want to have all the power.”
— Ishani Desai
Update: 9:01 p.m.
Reps. Bera and Kiley will face off for newly redrawn Sacramento-area seat
Rep. Ami Bera said Tuesday he’ll challenge Rep. Kevin Kiley in a Sacramento-area district whose lines are being redrawn to give Bera an advantage.
“The path to a Democratic House majority runs through California,” said Bera, D-Sacramento. “I’m stepping up in CA-03 to help deliver that majority and to keep fighting for the hardworking families who call the greater Sacramento region home.”
In a video message Kiley released Tuesday night, he said: “While I believe the conduct of this Special Election, from the rushed timing to the suspension of voter protections, fell well short of the ideals we ought to strive for in our democratic process, nevertheless, the People of California have spoken.”
The nonpartisan Cook Political Report quickly changed the outlook for 10 California House races to being more favorable for Democrats. The Sacramento-area 3rd District moved from being likely Republican to solid Democrat.
— David Lightman
Update: 8:54 p.m.
Donald Trump reacts after Democrats win big on Election Night
President Donald Trump has reacted after Democrats collected key wins in the Virginia and New Jersey governor races, along with the New York City mayoral race. Trump posted on Truth Social, “‘TRUMP WASN’T ON THE BALLOT, AND SHUTDOWN, WERE THE TWO REASONS THAT REPUBLICANS LOST ELECTIONS TONIGHT,’ according to Pollsters.”
Immediately after Prop. 50 passed, he posted “…AND SO IT BEGINS!”
Major news outlets project a win for Prop. 50 in California
The Associated Press and CNN are projecting a win for Proposition 50, moments after polls closed Tuesday, although only a small portion of the race results have been posted by the California Secretary of State.
Excited shouts could be heard at the California Democratic Party soon after 8 p.m., as the projections rolled in.
“It’s been a great night for Dems,” said Hannah Milgrom, spokesperson for Newsom’s ‘Yes’ campaign, referring to two gubernatorial candidates projected to win in Virginia and New Jersey.
“We’re really excited to see that across the country and we’re hoping that Prop. 50 should be the capstone on a great night for Dems,” Milgrom told The Bee minutes before polls closed.
Gov. Gavin Newsom is expected to appear and speak at the party headquarters, though the timing is unclear.
“We’re thrilled to see that California voters overwhelmingly passed Proposition 50. This is a clear victory for Americans who believe we should have fair elections and a major rejection of Donald Trump’s dangerous attempt to rig the midterms,” said Democratic Governors Association Chair Laura Kelly.
Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, predicted the race result wouldn’t help Democrats gain the House majority.
“Even under this new map, Republicans have clear opportunities to flip seats because Californians are fed up with Democrat chaos. We will continue to compete and win because our candidates are stronger, our message is resonating, and Californians are tired of being ignored,” he said.
As of 8:10 p.m. Placer and Sacramento Counties had both counted about 60% of returned ballots.
51.4% of voters in Placer County have voted against redistricting. About 61.8% of voters in Sacramento County voted in favor of the measure.
See more election results on the county-by-county level from The Bee here.
— Kate Wolffe, Lia Russell, David Lightman, Nicole Nixon, Daniel Lempres
Update: 8:16 p.m.
California voters remain in line as polling places approach closing
The lines at multiple polling places in Rocklin and Citrus Heights did not disappear as the clock ticked to 8 p.m.
“It’s amazing,” said Kim Black, 65, said of residents staying in line. The Citrus Heights resident got off work two hours early to drive her boyfriend to the Citrus Heights Event Center to vote.
Black, describing herself as a Republican, said she was upset with the political system. Watching the news can be a chore as divisiveness plagues the country, she said.
“This (election) is an important one,” she said.
The California Republican party urged people who got in line before 8 p.m. to stay in line, saying they “are receiving reports of long lines to vote from around the state,” on X.
Videos were shared widely on social media of long lines at college campuses Tuesday during the day. Gov. Gavin Newsom sharing several of snaking lines at UC Davis and UC San Diego.
— Ishani Desai and Kate Wolffe
Update: 7:56 p.m.
Placer County Republican assemblymember says fight isn’t over
Assemblymember Joe Patterson, R-Rocklin, cast doubt on polling numbers showing California voters will handily approve Prop. 50.
This election is unique because only one issue is on the ballot and voters are contemplating the initiative during an off-year cycle, Patterson said in an interview at a Placer County Elections Office in Rocklin after he cast his ballot.
“I don’t know if the pollsters got it right,” he said. He later said he voted against Prop. 50.
A Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll, conducted from Oct. 20 to 27, showed 60% of likely California voters will approve the ballot measure gerrymandering congressional districts to flip five Republican-held seats. Only 38% of people opposed the initiative and 2% of voters were undecided.
Patterson said he was optimistic after spotting a line of residents seeking to vote snake out of the Rocklin Election’s Office. Places like Placer County could potentially serve as a counterpunch to other California counties likely to approve Prop. 50, he said.
“It’s really hard to gauge what the outcome is going to be.”
From Oct. 25 until 6 p.m. on Election Day, 24,000 people had voted in person in Placer County, said Stacy Robinson, a Placer County Election’s Office spokesperson. She said this number will likely increase after polls close at 8 p.m.
During the general election last year, about 52,000 people cast their ballots from Oct. 26, 2024 until Election Day, Robinson said.
Placer County, under the new map, will be split up into three congressional districts. Most of the county is currently represented by Rep. Kevin Kiley, a Roseville Republican.
— Ishani Desai
Update: 7:05 p.m.
Democrats win in Virginia; Mamdani elected Mayor in New York City
The Associated Press has called the Virginia governor’s race for Democrat Abigail Spanberger, a former congresswoman and CIA case officer, giving Democrats a decisive win going into the 2026 midterm elections.
The outlet also called the New York City mayor’s race for Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani, a 34-year-old state assemblymember who energized the city with his ambitious campaign.
And a four-term Democratic member of Congress, Mikie Sherrill, was projected by AP to beat Trump-endorsed Jack Ciatterelli, a former state legislator, in the New Jersey governor’s race.
— Kate Wolffe
Update: 6:50 p.m.
Two check-in laptops go down briefly in Arden Arcade
Ken Casparis, a public information officer for Sacramento County, confirmed a story first reported by KCRA 3 that two of the county’s laptops were down for a brief time Tuesday evening at an Arden Arcade vote center, the Richard T. Conzelmann Community Center.
“We had a couple of check-in laptops go down at the vote center off Cottage Way,” Casparis said in a phone interview with The Sacramento Bee. “So the staff there informed the voters in that vote center that they were unable to check in voters while it was down. But we pretty immediately got tech support out there.”
Casparis estimated that the vote center “was probably down for maybe 20 or so minutes.” During this time, voters were given an alternate location where they could vote in-person. Casparis wasn’t immediately sure of where this location was.
With the issue resolved, Casparis implored those who hadn’t voted yet in the special election to do so. “If you haven’t voted already, get your ballot in a drop box before 8 p.m.,” said Casparis, who spoke to The Bee just before 6 p.m. “And if you want to vote in person, those vote centers are open today until 8 p.m. and if you’re in line at 8, stay in line, you’ll be able to cast your vote.”
— Graham Womack
Update: 6:20 p.m.
Republicans phone bank for final push against Prop. 50
Volunteers were phone-banking throughout the day Tuesday at the California Republican Party’s headquarters in downtown Sacramento, calling and texting Republicans who have not yet voted to encourage them to oppose the redistricting ballot measure.
“This is just a blatant power grab that doesn’t actually help anybody,” Matt Shupe, the party’s communications director, said of Proposition 50. “California has the gold standard of redistricting and getting corruption out of our system, and the Democrats are trying to undo that for these selfish political gains.”
The party’s focus on turning out its own voters highlights the collapse of two separate ‘No’ campaigns ahead of the special election’s final stretch. As those campaigns went silent, Shupe said the CAGOP has spent $11 million of its own to reach and turn out Republicans.
A ballot tracker by election and redistricting expert Paul Mitchell showed that as of Tuesday morning, 52% of the total ballots returned were from registered Democrats, 27% were from Republicans and 21% from voters registered without party preference or another party.
Though Prop. 50 would complicate reelection campaigns for five GOP members of Congress, the party is prepared to support the targets: Reps. Doug LaMalfa, Kevin Kiley, David Valadao, Ken Calvert and Darrell Issa.
“We don’t believe that if it passes it’s a sure thing that these five members of Congress are going to lose their seats,” Shupe said, adding that it’s “always an uphill battle” for Republicans to get elected in California. “They’re just going to fight more and that’s what they’re prepared to do every election cycle.”
— Nicole Nixon
Update: 6:00 p.m. Tuesday
Thousands vote in person in Placer County
The parking lot was nearly full at a Rocklin elections office as residents lined up to vote in person. As of approximately 5 p.m., about 11,000 people had voted in person on Election Day in Placer County, said Stacy Robinson, a spokesperson for the county Election’s Office. The opportunity to keep serving residents fuels the employees, she added. “It keeps us going,” Robinson said.
Jerry Kaiser voted in person because simply filing out a form sounded less exciting than watching his ballot be processed. “And they let me off of work to vote,” Kaiser said.
Marvin Menefee nodded and smiled as he watched his ballot being processed. He and friends have disagreements in politics, he said, but voting allows him and others to express an opinion without tempers rising. “It’s a pleasure to do it,” Menefee said.
— Ishani Desai
Update: 5:45 p.m. Tuesday
Fresno County clerk/registrar notes presence of federal poll observers
Some voters in Fresno County told The Fresno Bee they’d seen monitors on Tuesday morning observing the process but weren’t sure of the observers’ affiliations.
The U.S. attorney general dispatched monitors to Fresno, along with Kern, Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside counties, after the California Republican Party voiced concerns about possible election issues in the counties.
James Kus, the Fresno County clerk/registrar of voters said he’d advised the Department of Justice on where would be good to observe and that many observers had come out not affiliated with the DOJ but rather with state-level and advocacy organizations.
— Read more from the Fresno Bee’s Liliana Fannin and Thaddeus Miller here.
Update: 4:55 p.m. Tuesday
Oak Park residents provide perspective on Prop. 50 fight
At the Oak Park Community Center in Sacramento Tuesday afternoon, cars filled the parking lot as voters hurried in and out of the building, while others circled in search of a parking spot.
Matteo Cascio, 49, said he voted in favor of Prop. 50 because he wanted to help “level the playing field across the country” and hopes the measure in California “leads to voter reform across the entire country.”
“What we had was correct in terms of independent districting,” Cascio added. “But we can’t unilaterally disarm against states that are just going to do whatever they want.”
Christopher Mack, 46, said he also voted yes on Prop. 50, noting the need for change in light of California’s shifting demographics and growing diversity.
“The landscape of our population is changing, but the way in which it’s set up is not representative of what the majority of California thinks,” Mack said.
— Chaewon Chung
Update: 4:10 p.m. Tuesday
How late is too late to vote in California?
According to California’s Voter Bill of Rights, you have the “right to vote if you are still in line when the polls close.”
“If a voter is in line to vote when the polls close, they have the right to vote,” the California Secretary of State’s Office previously told The Sacramento Bee.
Be in line by 7:59 p.m.
“The lines will be cut off at 8 p.m.,” the California Secretary of State’s Office said.
— Angela Rodriguez
Update: 3:45 p.m. Tuesday
Auburn voters hit the polls: ‘You have to participate and not just sit there’
Bill Gilsdorf and his wife avoid talking politics at the dinner table. He’s conservative, and she’s liberal, he said, so wading into partisan topics can upset an otherwise lovely meal.
But Gilsdorf and his wife arrived at the Auburn voting center to make sure their often disparate perspectives were heard on Election Day. Gilsdorf said he has voted in every election for about 60 years and said the chance to participate in democracy Tuesday does not get old.
“She may be voting one way, and I may be voting the other way, but that’s the way it is,” he said.
A steady line of cars dropped off ballots Tuesday at an Auburn voting center while residents streamed inside.
Carol Satterlee, an Auburn resident, stepped out of a voting center and pressed on a sticker declaring she voted. She said she voted in person to ensure her vote was counted correctly and was walking away with confidence her voice was heard.
“If you want change in your government, you have to participate and not just sit there and complain about it,” Satterlee said.
— Ishani Desai
Update: 3:45 p.m. Tuesday
California officials respond to Trump allegations
California’s elected officials Tuesday afternoon responded to allegations that President Donald Trump levied on social media that California’s special election is “rigged.”
“The bottom line is California elections have been validated by the courts. California voters will not be deceived by someone who consistently makes desperate, unsubstantiated attempts to dissuade Americans from participating in our democracy,” Secretary of State Shirley Weber wrote in an emailed statement. She asked for proof that irregularities exist.
In a Truth Social post Tuesday morning, Trump wrote: “The Unconstitutional Redistricting Vote in California is a GIANT SCAM in that the entire process, in particular the Voting itself, is RIGGED. All ‘Mail-In’ Ballots, where the Republicans in that State are ‘Shut Out,’ is under very serious legal and criminal review. STAY TUNED!”
When asked about the allegations Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters it was “a fact” that there is fraud in California elections.
“They have a universal mail-in voting system which we know is ripe for fraud,” she said. She added the state has “fraudulent ballots that are being mailed in, in the names of other people, in the names of illegal aliens who shouldn’t be voting in American elections,” and said the White House would provide proof.
Gov. Gavin Newsom responded to both Trump and Leavitt on X Tuesday, posting a video in the afternoon saying Trump “does not believe in free and fair elections.”
Assemblymember Marc Berman, D-Menlo Park, authored the 2021 law to make California a vote-by-mail state.
In a statement Tuesday, he compared the allegations to a 2017 Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity to find voter fraud, which was dissolved in 2018.
“This time is no different, but damage is still being done by this incessant eroding of Americans’ faith in our democracy. It is truly un-American.”
— Kate Wolffe
Update: 3:20 p.m. Tuesday
Sen. Alex Padilla says he won’t enter race for governor in 2026
Sen. Alex Padilla said Tuesday he will not run for governor of California next year, capping months of speculation that he would.
“I choose not just to stay in the Senate,” the California Democrat told reporters at the Capitol. “I choose to stay in this fight because the Constitution is worth fighting for. Our fundamental rights are worth fighting for. Our core values are worth fighting for. The American dream is worth fighting for.”
— Read more from The Bee’s David Lightman here.
Update: 2:30 p.m. Tuesday
Where can I drop off my ballot for California special election?
The California Secretary of State’s Office said voters can drop off their mail-in ballots anywhere in the state, although officials have warned people shouldn’t drop their ballots off at post offices on Election Day because they might not be postmarked until the day after.
Voters can find their nearest ballot drop-off location online. Here’s where you can look up your closest polling place.
— Angela Rodriguez
Prop. 50 polls show heavy spending on ‘Yes’ paid off
After an initial lukewarm reception, public approval of Prop. 50 has grown in California, with the majority of Democrats and independents saying they planned to vote yes on the measure, which will redraw California’s congressional lines and may net five additional Democratic seats.
The move is in response to Texas Republicans gerrymandering in favor of Republicans at President Donald Trump’s behest, and has ignited a nationwide redistricting battle.
The run-up to the election became a proxy war, with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s campaign positioning it as a way for Californians to fight back against Trump, who has largely bypassed a Republican-majority Congress to withhold funding from blue states when it comes to some existing environmental, educational and health care programs.
Polling from the Public Policy Institute of California found that 83 percent of the state’s adults disapprove of how Congress is functioning. About 73 percent disapproved of Trump’s job as president.
The fundraising and spending during the battle was uneven, with the “Yes” side churning through tens of millions of dollars given to it by labor unions and other groups critical of Trump’s actions. The ”No” side raised a combined $44 million, and its spending significantly tapered off as Election Day neared.
Prop. 50 is the only question on the ballot in many counties, and state officials urged residents to vote early due to changes with the U.S. Postal Service that could result in ballots not being postmarked on Election Day. Attention will be fixed on five counties (Kern, Riverside, Fresno, Orange, L.A.) where the U.S. attorney general is sending federal election monitors.
California’s secretary of state has said she’s not concerned about the monitors, while Newsom and California Attorney General Rob Bonta have warned they may be used to help Trump invalidate the election.
This story was originally published November 4, 2025 at 2:00 PM with the headline "Live updates: Gov. Gavin Newsom celebrates Prop. 50 win at Democrats’ HQ."
