More than three dozen county sheriffs — including the ones from Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties — have signed onto a letter opposing Proposition 50, the mid-decade congressional redistricting ballot measure that Californians will be voting on as part of a special election called by state Democratic leaders.
In the open letter, 37 county sheriffs said a mid-cycle redistricting effort, in which the proposed congressional maps were redrawn behind closed doors as part of a partisan effort to advantage California Democrats in the 2026 congressional elections, not only would undermine the will of voters, but also would erode public trust in government. They said the effort “disenfranchises” voters.
“As elected county sheriffs, we know that our system of government depends upon public trust. That trust is built through transparency, fairness, and adherence to the rule of law,” the letter said. “Conversely, trust is undermined when public officials take actions designed to enhance their own power at the expense of the people’s will.”
The letter was signed by Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus.
Prop. 50 is being championed by Gov. Gavin Newsom and Democrats, both in the state legislature and in Congress.
Proponents of Prop. 50 say their mid-decade redistricting effort is only in response to similar gerrymandering efforts by Republicans in Texas, Missouri and other red states that, prompted by President Donald Trump, are attempting to stack next year’s midterm elections so that Republicans can continue to control the House.
But those who oppose Prop. 50 say two wrongs don’t make a right.
The letter signed by the sheriffs noted that Californians voted for an independent commission to determine the boundaries for political districts twice: in 2008 for state legislative districts, and again in 2010 for congressional districts.
In addition, the sheriffs raised concerns about the estimated cost of the statewide special election at a time when California faces a $10 billion to $20 billion annual deficit. There are reports that the special election is projected to cost over $282 million, including a $251.3 million request from the state finance director that would go to county election offices.
The group further noted that the state hasn’t fully funded Proposition 36, the measure that voters approved last year that increased penalties for certain theft and drug crimes while funding substance abuse treatment for individuals.
“Those hundreds of millions now being spent on a special election could instead be used to build statewide treatment infrastructure — honoring both the letter and spirit of Prop. 36. This is another example of Sacramento politicians disregarding the will of the voters,” the letter said.
The group of sheriffs criticized Prop. 50 as “the latest in a series of actions from Sacramento that have compromised longstanding election practices for political gains.”
For example, the letter said, when Assembly Bill 759 was signed into law in 2022, it changed the terms of county sheriffs and district attorneys, and many counties had to shift those elections from the gubernatorial to the presidential cycle. That move, the sheriffs alleged, was taken in order to “skew” the outcomes of future elections.
Monday’s letter from the sheriffs was released a week out from when registered voters are expected to start receiving their vote-by-mail ballots. Voting will end on Nov. 4.
