Top California Democrat runs for gerrymandered seat reportedly drawn specially for him

One high-ranking California Democrat is already cashing in on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s redistricting gambit.

California state Senate president pro tempore Mike McGuire announced his run Thursday for the newly-redrawn 1st congressional district following voters approving Proposition 50, Newsom’s gerrymander initiative, on Nov. 4. McGuire’s expected announcement comes after reports alleged that the top legislative Democrat had the district created for him in exchange for supporting the new House map.

“No one has done more to help Democrat Mike McGuire’s career than Mike McGuire himself,” National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) spokesman Christian Martinez said in a statement. “He’s only in it for himself and using taxpayer dollars to bankroll his climb up the political ladder.”

Proposition 50’s passage could flip as many as five Republican-held seats into Democrat’s column during next year’s midterm elections. The redistricting effort could cost taxpayers as much as $235.5 million, according to the California Assembly’s Republicans.

One of the most vulnerable Republicans following voters approving the gerrymander is California Rep. Doug LaMalfa, who has represented a sprawling northern California district in Congress since 2013.

Newsom’s gerrymander split LaMalfa’s Republican-leaning seat in half to create a new Democratic seat that McGuire is seeking to represent. The other portion of LaMalfa’s district was given to California Democratic Rep. Jared Huffman, who represents a deep blue seat that hugs the northern California coastline.

McGuire, who was term-limited out of the state legislature, is likely to sweep the general election if he secures the Democratic nomination. Though President Donald Trump carried LaMalfa’s district by 25 points in 2024, former Vice President Kamala Harris would have won the newly redrawn seat by 12 points.

LaMalfa has said that he intends to run for reelection despite Democrats’ new voter registration advantage in the district. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates the contest for the gerrymandered seat as “Solid Democrat.”

McGuire’s run in the gerrymandered district could make for an awkward fit for some northern California residents, who hold conservative views and prefer Republican representation.

Democratic California Sen. Adam Schiff and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi have endorsed McGuire’s run. The top Democrat has also vowed to oppose Trump’s policy agenda if elected to Washington.

“Don’t worry: I will always stand up to the destructive policies of Donald Trump,” McGuire says in the campaign announcement video.

McGuire’s launch video notably hones in on the rural characteristics of the newly-drawn district. The California Democrat says the word “rural” five times in the 95-second video.

“This district is big. It’s rural. And now more than ever it needs a fighter,” McGuire said in a video announcing his congressional run. “I know these roads. I know these towns. And I know what it takes to deliver for you and your family.”

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