In Siskiyou County, 62% of voters opposed Proposition 50, reflecting broad resistance to the redistricting plan among rural northern California counties.
YREKA, Calif. — Siskiyou County voters who overwhelmingly rejected Proposition 50 in November will see their congressional representation shift from Republican to Democratic next year under California’s newly approved redistricting map, according to analyses of the redrawn boundaries.
The measure, which passed statewide with 52% voter approval, dismantles the 26,000-square-mile First Congressional District that has long connected Siskiyou County’s rural communities to the Sacramento Valley agricultural region. In its place, the new First District combines parts of the Sacramento Valley with Wine Country communities north of San Francisco—a composition that election forecasters project will elect a Democrat in the 2026 midterms.
In Siskiyou County, 62% of voters opposed Proposition 50, reflecting broad resistance to the redistricting plan among rural northern California counties. The current district, represented by Republican Doug LaMalfa since 2013, stretches from the Oregon border through the Sacramento Valley breadbasket.
LaMalfa, a rice farmer who lives near Richvale in Butte County, criticized the redistricting as political retaliation. Governor Gavin Newsom promoted the measure after President Trump urged Texas Republicans to eliminate Democratic congressional seats through partisan gerrymandering, according to a New York Times report published December 26.
The congressman noted that rural residents already feel targeted by state policies on water allocation, environmental regulations, and wildlife management. “Their voice is being silenced on how they feel about the issues here,” LaMalfa told the Times.
New District Composition
The reconfigured First District will include:
- Sacramento Valley agricultural communities
- Wine Country region north of San Francisco
- Portions of current district’s rural northern counties
State Senator Mike McGuire, a Democrat from Geyserville in Sonoma County, has announced his candidacy for the new seat. McGuire told the Times he plans to address rural concerns by focusing on wildfire prevention, school infrastructure, and affordable housing.
Political Context
Democratic officials maintain the redistricting responds to Republican-led gerrymandering in other states. The measure is part of a broader national trend where partisan map-drawing has placed Democratic voters in Republican-controlled states at similar risk of losing representation.
Siskiyou County will retain Republican representation in the State Legislature and local government, but will be represented in Congress by a district based primarily in the Bay Area for the first time in decades.
Local Impact
For residents like Terry Williams, a rice and walnut farmer in Richvale since 1974, the change represents a disconnect between representatives and the agricultural communities they serve.
“People in the cities don’t have a clue what it takes to survive out here,” Williams told the Times. “I don’t think people that were born and raised in the cities can represent us to the same extent.”
The redistricting takes effect for the 2026 congressional elections. Candidates have until March to file for the primary election.
2020 vs. 2024 Presidential Results
Attribution: New York Times reporting cited under Fair Use; local analysis original.
