This article received an honorable mention in the News Story category at the NFPW California Press Women 2026 High School Communications Contest. You can view the full list of winners here.
A wave of political shifts on both the state and national stage is prompting California voters and young people across the country to rethink how democracy should function—and who should lead it.
California’s passage of Proposition 50 and Zohran Mamdani’s win in New York City on Nov. 4 marked a moment when people were dissatisfied with the current state of affairs. Particularly in the shadow of the 2024 election, which resulted in the election of a right-wing federal government. Prop 50, which passed with about 64% of the vote in California, asked voters whether the state should switch from an independent commission to a legislative-drawn congressional district map for upcoming elections. Some worry it could lead to unfair advantages.
“It’s a slippery slope situation,” junior Amelia Herbst said. “More states will keep [gerrymandering], and in the end, it won’t help the situation that we’re actually struggling with in America.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom said that the shift was needed to match Texas’s redistricting strategy, claiming that they needed to be “woken up.” Some students highlight the measure’s significance for democracy.
“[Prop 50] is a complicated issue, but also extremely important,” junior Luisa Gapastione said. “From what I understand, it’s fighting for democracy.”
The change in Prop 50 could have a direct impact on nearby communities. By adding more urban-democratic-leaning areas to districts and removing conservative rural zones, experts say the law could shift local political outcomes, influencing who represents counties such as Stanislaus or Merced in Congress.
“I don’t think it’s fair for California to redraw the district map, because it shouldn’t be a partisan choice of those districts,” Gapastione said. “But, I think in this case it’s important for the districts to be redrawn in order to gain more votes and stand up to the other party.“
Mamdani’s win marked a progressive victory in New York City’s history and came alongside a record-high turnout, especially among young and first-time voters. Of voters under the age of 30, 78% participated in the election. Senior Vasili Morrison noted that this is an indication of change for the Democratic Party. According to The Daily Guardian, over 100,000 people under the age of 30 campaigned for Mamdani, whose emphasis on affordability led to his win.
“[Mamdani’s Campaign] is absolutely a signal to politicians around America to do the same,” Morrison said. ”I think politicians everywhere should adopt his style of politics — one of hope and making things more affordable for working-class people.”
Established Democrats, such as New York Governor Kathy Hochul, have opposed Mamdani’s policies, including the 2% income tax increase on the top 1% of citizens, refusing to pass his policies when the rest of the city council and legislature supported the tax increase. The same thing happened throughout Mamdani’s campaign, where established Democrats refused to endorse Mamdani and would support others, like Andrew Cuomo.
“[The Democratic party] has been really punishing towards progressive and non-corporate-backed candidates,” Morrison said.
These outcomes reflect what some analysts describe as a shift in voter priorities following the 2024 election, in which Republicans gained control of both the legislative and executive branches.
“This was just an example of the blue wave and retaliation to Trump’s fascist administration,” Morrison said.
