YES on Prop 50 Campaign Begins

Yesterday, we launched our “YES on Prop 50” campaign, beginning with our virtual town hall titled, “Fight Fascism! Redistricting Lunch and Learn Kickoff.”

Melina Abdullah, CFA Political Action and Legislation chair, left no doubt that this was a collective fight for all of California. “This campaign is about preserving as much democracy as we can in times of rising fascism. We cannot state the urgency of passing Prop 50,” said Abdullah, a CSU Los Angeles professor.

Assemblymember Isaac Bryan joined the town hall and expressed why we all need to vote YES on this proposition.

“The morals that I’m holding on to at this moment are the ones that don’t allow for people who are struggling the hardest in our country to be targeted by ICE, and by strategic budget cuts that only seem to impact people who are starving, who need medical care, who need child care, or who serve this country,” Bryan said. “That’s what I’m fighting for in this moment, and Prop 50 is the embodiment of all these things.”

Bryan warned of the consequences should Prop 50 fail, asserting that Republicans would steal the next election and continue to control Congress, the Senate, and the Executive Branch for the final two years of Trump’s presidency. More harm, he suggested, would come through than just what we’ve seen from the One Big Beautiful Bill.

At the forefront of this campaign is Dr. Jarred Cuéllar, CFA Pomona’s Political Action and Legislation (PAC-LEG) chair.

He is an assistant professor of political science at Cal Poly Pomona University and an expert in American politics, specializing in Latino politics, race and ethnicity, campaigns, and political behavior.

Dr. Cuéllar has published research on forecasting presidential nominations, the role of religion in Latino voting behavior, and on issues of measurement within political science. He also served as co-principal investigator on the 2024 California Elections and Policy Poll (both waves), which proved to be the most accurate statewide poll of Californians that year.

In his role as CSU Pomona PAC-LEG chair, he most recently helped successfully lobby against budget cuts to our CSU system.

Below, Cuéllar outlines the purpose of Prop 50 and why educators must support it.

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Colleagues,

The Republican Party is playing a dangerous game. With immigration raids and the recently passed “Big Beautiful Bill” being deeply unpopular, they expect midterm losses. As the bill takes effect, millions will lose health insurance, and many lives will be lost. To avoid accountability, Republicans are trying to cheat to maintain their stranglehold over our ever-weakening democracy.

The clearest example is in Texas, where Trump demanded Republicans push through a mid-decade redistricting scheme. That plan, now law, manufactures five additional GOP-controlled seats by stripping representation from millions of Texans. This is not democracy—it is the rigging of an election.

What Proposition 50 Does

 Proposition 50 is California’s democratic response. Unlike Texas, where partisan legislators imposed maps with no voter input, California law requires voters to approve any extraordinary redistricting. This safeguard was built into the law that created our Citizens Redistricting Commission as a check for extraordinary circumstances.

If approved this November, Prop 50 authorizes temporary changes to adopt a legislature-drawn map for the 2026 election. It would only be used in California’s congressional elections through 2030. The commission may resume duties after November or wait until 2031, after the next Census. This is a temporary, voter-approved measure to counter anti-democratic tactics in Texas and elsewhere.

The Prop 50 map also meets the Voting Rights Act, ensuring communities of color retain a fair and lawful voice.

Why CFA Supports Prop 50

CFA members endorse Proposition 50 because it essential to safeguard representation for our faculty, students, and broader communities, and it is essential to safeguard democracy in the face of rising fascism.

You can learn more about Prop 50, pledge to vote YES, and find ways to get involved here.

This support reflects our antiracism and social justice stance. The proposed maps preserve representation for immigrant communities and communities of color, ensuring Latino political power is not diminished and Asian American representation is strengthened. These communities would be most harmed if California failed to act. Texas, by contrast, strips communities of color—Black communities in particular—of representation.

We are not alone. Even Dr. Sara Sadhwani, Pomona College political science professor and member of the Citizens Redistricting Commission, supports Prop 50. She has stressed that while the commission is strong, the current climate is unprecedented—and extraordinary measures are justified.

Higher Education Is on the Line

We also recognize that higher education is under attack by the GOP. From censoring curricula to undermining tenure and academic freedom, the right wing has made clear that public higher education is in their crosshairs. Allowing Republicans to grow stronger through pseudo-democratic gerrymandering only amplifies these threats.

Prop 50 is more than a redistricting measure—it is a defense of the conditions under which we teach, research, and serve students.

 

A Union Call to Action

We know what happens when we stay silent: communities lose power, students lose opportunity, and faculty lose the freedom to teach the truth. Prop 50 is our chance to push back.

We are urging our members to vote YES on Proposition 50 this November. Together we will defend representation, defend education, and defend democracy.

Pledge to vote Yes on Prop 50 here. Ready to volunteer? Sign up for opportunities here.

In solidarity,

Jarred R Cuellar, PhD

Assistant Professor of Political Science

California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Political Action/Legislation Chair- Pomona Chapter
The California Faculty Association