November 4th was Election Day nationwide. Given the current political climate, there was anxiety across the nation regarding what the results would be. In California, Proposition 50 was a huge topic of discussion. If approved, California would be able to proceed with a newly adopted temporary congressional district map, drawn by the state legislature, from 2026 to 2030. This is because of Texas Republicans and the Trump administration’s redistricting efforts as a power grab. Given this, many Californians were determined to vote YES on Prop 50.
Sophomore Eysha Hurley had some words regarding the win.
“This win will make California appear even more blue, of course, and it also sets a scary precedent in the country,” Hurley said. “Texas is now being blocked, but other states have made efforts to redistrict other Republican [representatives]. The fact that California’s redistricting initiative passed […] makes other states’ efforts seem a lot more real.”
Many think now that Prop 50 has been passed, other states will attempt to do something similar, regardless of its political stance. In the upcoming months, changes might happen across the country in response to this passing. In the meantime, many Californians are pleased with this change, believing that this was a necessary step.
However, Senior Dylan Ortiz, Former President of the Young Republicans Club, had a different outlook on it. “It is about what I expected,” Ortiz said. “I personally voted against [passing Prop 50], but it is California, a deep blue state, so what are you going to do?”
When the decisions came out, not only was California’s Prop 50 passed, but Democrats won all across the country. Among them is Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic socialist who gained traction for his progressive ideas and non-traditional values while running a successful campaign for mayor of New York City. Leading up to the election, many New York City residents, who live in one of the most expensive cities in the world, have been calling for adjustments to the living costs. Mamdani was going against the former governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, and this election split up the city. When Mamdani won, New Yorkers cheered throughout the city’s success, a sign of hope for all democrats in the US.
“I have my reservations about him,” Ortiz said. “I am a little worried about whether or not he can achieve his agenda as well as the actual implications of it, whether it is a good agenda to have—I have mixed feelings about him. I am not hostile to him like a lot of other conservatives tend to be—I am more on the neutral side.”
Besides Prop 50 and the NYC Mayoral race, Virginia and New Jersey also saw Democratic wins. Winning 53% of the votes, Abigail Spanberger became Virginia’s first female governor. In New Jersey, Mikie Sherrell also became the first female governor of that state, with support from 56.9% of the New Jersey citizens.
Starting in January of 2026, the new governors, mayors, acts, and propositions will be sworn in and put into effect. Whether positive or negative, this Democratic wave will likely bring many changes in the upcoming year.
