At a press conference in Los Angeles today, CAPA21 Chair Tamlyn Tomita joined other Asian American electeds and community leaders to call on Californians to vote Yes on Proposition 50, the Election Rigging Response Act, and to fight back against Trump’s unprecedented attacks on democracy.
“As a proud Californian, I know our state has always stood for fairness and inclusion. But today, Trump and his friends in Texas are trying to silence us and rig our democracy,” said Tomita. “For Asian American and Pacific Islander communities – and for every community that has been told their voice doesn’t matter – Prop 50 is our chance to say loudly and clearly: we will not be erased. We will defend our democracy.”
In just a few short months, Trump has shown us exactly what he intends to do with unchecked power: impose illegal tariffs that make everything more expensive, deny disaster assistance to fire victims, and illegally deploy the National Guard to Los Angeles. Now, he is coming directly for our democracy with a scheme to rig the next election.
Texas Legislature Passes Redistricting Measure Mid-Decade
Trump ordered Texas’s Republican majority legislature to carve out five new congressional seats to pad Republican power mid-decade – a deliberate effort to send more Republicans to the House of Representatives in Washington, D.C. Instead of letting voters choose their representatives, Trump pushed Texas lawmakers to manipulate district lines so that politicians could handpick their voters.
This wasn’t about fair representation – it was about stacking the deck, silencing communities of color, and lacking in partisan advantage. It was a textbook example of rigging the system. This sets the stage for reforms such as California’s Proposition 50, which aimed to put a check on political gamesmanship and remind us that democracy is supposed to be decided at the ballot box, not behind closed doors.
California’s Response to Trump and Texas’s Power Grab
Proposition 50 is California’s answer to Trump and Texas Republicans’ latest power grab. It ensures that the 2026 midterm elections are conducted on a fair and level playing field — because when Trump and his allies don’t fight fair, Californians need to fight fire with fire.
Trump has already declared “maximum warfare” on California, threatening to withhold funding for our schools and colleges, denying relief to disaster victims, and even turning the U.S. military against our people. Now, he wants to silence Californians’ voices by stealing congressional seats and rigging our elections.
Prop 50 is our line in the sand. It protects our democracy, our voice, and our future. These maps are temporary, lasting only until the next census in 2030. This November, we call on Californians to defend our state from Trump’s attacks and ensure that every vote counts in 2026’s midterm elections.
United States Representative Judy Chu says, “With Republicans controlling Congress, they’ve slashed Medicaid, stripping health care from millions of low-income families and seniors. They’ve supported Trump as he unleashes masked agents to terrorize immigrants and tear families apart. And they’ve rubber stamped his tariffs that are costing families thousands of dollars more for basic necessities. Trump knows he needs a Republican Congress to keep his grip on power, which is why he’s colluding with states like Texas to gerrymander more seats and lock in Republican dominance. California must fight back. That’s why I support Proposition 50 — to guarantee fair redistricting that keeps our communities together and strengthens the voices of Asian Americans and all communities of color. A “Yes on 50” means equal representation, a fair democracy, and making sure every community counts.”
Assemblymember Jessica Caloza, California State Legislature, says, “Our communities are hurting—healthcare centers are being defunded, free speech is under attack, and families are being torn apart before our very eyes. The lives and livelihoods of our neighbors and loved ones are on line and that’s what’s at stake for Prop 50. We cannot remain silent—our AAPI communities are critical to ensuring we fight at the ballot box and vote YES on Prop 50.”
Assemblymember Mike Fong, California State Legislature, says, “ Asian Pacific American communities know the cost when decisions are made without our voices — from Trump’s tariffs that hurt small businesses to Texas’ redistricting schemes that silence voters. Prop 50 is our chance to fight back. A yes vote means fighting for healthcare, education, representation, and protecting our democracy so every community, including AAPIs, has a voice at the table.”
Cynthia Choi, Co-Founder of Stop AAPI Hate and Executive Director of Chinese for Affirmative Action, says, “After the devastating fires in Los Angeles, Trump blocked disaster relief and left our community without the resources that we needed to rebuild our lives. He turned recovery into a political weapon against our state. Prop 50 is how we fight back – it’s about protecting our democracy and ensuring that every one of us is treated fairly.”
Manjusha Kulkarni, Co-Founder of Stop AAPI Hate and Executive Director of AAPI Equity Alliance, says, “Proposition 50 is an important effort to protect our democracy. It is time for Californians to stand up and vote YES on November 4th. No one should be able unilaterally change the outcome of a national election more than a year before voting even begins. Proposition 50 offers a check against that.
We are fighting for the future of our nation as certain forces seek to push us down a path of authoritarianism. Passing Proposition 50 will put the brakes on that descent and enable us to secure America’s democracy moving forward.”
CAPA21 