The bigger threat to Clovis is not Prop. 50, but President Trump himself | Opinion
The Clovis City Council voted unanimously to oppose Proposition 50, the focus of a special election next month to redraw California’s congressional boundaries sooner than planned.
The council, with member Lynne Ashbeck absent, took its stand because the proposed redistricting would divide Clovis into three congressional districts. Currently, Republican Vince Fong of Bakersfield represents the city of 129,000 in the House of Representatives.
As explained by Bee staff writer Leqi Zhong, “If Prop. 50 is adopted, Clovis will be split among three districts: District 5, represented by Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Elk Grove, to the north; District 21, represented Rep. Jim Costa, D-Fresno, to the west; and District 20,” which is Fong’s turf.
“It’s not compact. It is not contiguous. It splits Clovis into three,” said Councilmember Drew Bessinger. “... it basically sends the voices of our citizens, literally and figuratively, out into the wilderness.”
The “wilderness” reference is to the far-flung nature the new districts would have, especially McClintock’s.
Bessinger is particularly peeved at how the proposed districts would further dilute California’s Republican representation in Congress. But that is the whole point of this exercise.
Democrats outnumber Republicans in California’s House delgation 43-9. The midterm redistricting, being pushed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, would seek to give his party five more seats. GOP representation would almost cease to exist.
What started California down this path was President Donald Trump asking Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott to redraw congressional lines in that state so the GOP could gain potentially five more spots in the House. Trump wants to keep a Republican majority to ensure his agenda gets approved.
Clovis Mayor Pro Tem Diane Pearce said redistricting the city into three congressional districts would dilute the community’s voice, rather than having a single representative looking out for it.
“I have to credit Congressman Vince Fong for being very responsive. He works very well with us. If I call him, he picks up the phone and he connects me to the staff member that can further our request,” Pearce said. “But to have to do that three times is not going to be in the best interest of the needs of the city of Clovis.”
I agree with the council that Prop. 50 is not ideal. Redistricting is normally done after every decade, when the latest census is completed. This midterm one is out of left field. But that’s because of Trump and his Texas two-step.
There is another way to look at the concerns voiced by Bessinger and Pearce.
Clovis redistricting could be good
As to Bessinger’s “out in the wilderness” comment, consider this: It would be foolish for any politician to ignore the needs of Clovis, given that it has a sizable population and is also home to a strong school district and higher household income level than many communities in the San Joaquin Valley. Clovis is politically significant.
In fact, one could argue that dividing the city gives it three times its congressional representation. It could turn out that the trio of congressional members would work together to advocate for Clovis when needs arose. If that effort was bipartisan, so much the better.
It is much the same with Pearce’s concern over losing one representative who is responsive to the city. Yes, it would mean she has to call three different congressional offices when a problem occurs. But getting three House members to help the city is not a negative. Pearce will have to get her speed-dial finger calloused up.
If Clovis loses influence in Congress, it will be because the council and other city leaders did not do a good enough job of advocating for their needs. That’s just as true today, before any redistricting.
Trump’s politics a greater danger
Prop. 50 will remain in place until 2030, when the next census is done. The following year, the state’s Citizens Redistricting Commission will resume its work to draw new lines. So the Clovis council has a short-term concern.
The longer-term view of Democrats like Newsom is to block Trump from what they consider anti-democratic actions, like his sending the National Guard to patrol inner-city areas where local police are sufficient to keep the peace.
Trump is accumulating a list of undemocratic, unconstitutional actions: Refusing to spend money Congress allocated; laying off federal workers during a government shutdown; ignoring judges’ orders; grabbing people off American streets and detaining them without due process.
Is Prop. 50 a power grab, as Bessinger says in an op-ed published in The Bee? Not really. Voters still have to approve it. The fact is Republicans in California have failed to win statewide elections for decades now. If the GOP wants to be more relevant in California, it needs to have winning policies and candidates.
The one-year anniversary of the devastating Los Angeles wildfires is just a few months away. Last February, in the aftermath of the blazes, Newsom requested $39 billion to help with rebuilding. Trump and the Republican Congress have yet to allocate any federal funds because California is run by Democrats. That goes against how leaders of both parties have acted for decades.
What is Clovis suffered a catastrophic emergency, like a flood this winter? Would Trump withhold aid?
Trump could well be the bigger threat to the Clovis way of life — not Prop. 50.
This story was originally published October 14, 2025 at 5:30 AM with the headline "The bigger threat to Clovis is not Prop. 50, but President Trump himself | Opinion."