Tiburon Peninsula voters back Prop. 50 to redraw California congressional districts for Democrats

Tiburon Peninsula voters joined the rest of California in overwhelmingly approving efforts to temporarily redraw the state’s U.S. House districts in favor of Democrats. The measure seeks to counter Republican gerrymandering in Texas and other states.

Proposition 50 keeps the peninsula in the 2nd Congressional District but dramatically expands its boundaries to include Republican strongholds near the Oregon border. The measure had 63.8% statewide support as of midmorning Nov. 5, with 80.6% of Marin voters backing the initiative.

The Associated Press called the election shortly after polls closed Nov. 4.

Some 74.9% of Tiburon voters supported the proposition, compared with 66.3% of Belvedere voters, as of 10:45 p.m. Nov. 4. A precinct covering unincorporated areas representing all of unincorporated Tiburon and southern Strawberry has 77.8% of voters backing the initiative.

Statewide turnout was about 35% compared with 47% for Marin and the unincorporated peninsula, 46% for Belvedere and 45% for Tiburon.

Marin’s next results update is scheduled for no later than 5 p.m. Nov. 7, officials said. Results will be certified Dec. 2.

The measure was the only item on the ballot for peninsula voters. It creates opportunities for Democrats to gain up to five congressional seats statewide as part of the Election Rigging Response Act, the law Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom signed in August that led to the ballot initiative in response to redistricting in Texas that would give Republicans an advantage in the 2026 midterm elections.

Sacramento-based Redistricting Partners, the consultant hired by congressional Democrats, drew the maps, which will be in effect for 2026. They’ll remain in place for the 2028 and 2030 elections before reverting to census-based lines drawn by California’s independent Citizen Redistricting Commission.

The California Republican Party and others filed a lawsuit Nov. 5 arguing the new maps are unconstitutional. They allege the maps were drawn to increase the voting power of a racial group, specifically Hispanic voters.

Proposition 50, which does not impact state Assembly or Senate districts, also includes language calling on Congress to pass federal legislation requiring the use of independent nonpartisan redistricting commissions nationwide.

U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman, a San Rafael Democrat who has represented the 2nd District since 2013 and has expressed support for the measure, will have a drastically different constituency under the now-approved map when he’s up for re-election in 2026.

Targeting 1st District Republican Rep. Doug LaMalfa, the new district boundary adds Trinity, Lassen, Siskiyou and Modoc counties to the existing fold of Marin, Humboldt and Del Norte counties. Mendocino County, all of which is currently in the 2nd District, would be shared with the 1st District. Sonoma County, which the 2nd District shared with the 4th District, would also be shared with the 1st District.

Reach Tiburon reporter Francisco Martinez at 415-944-4634.

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