Barack Obama backs Prop 50 to redraw California congressional map

Former President Barack Obama is urging California voters to approve Proposition 50 in a new statewide television ad, joining Democrats in a push to redraw the state's congressional map ahead of the Nov. 4 election. The 30 second spot, airing across California, asks voters to back a ballot measure that proponents say could add as many as five Democratic-held U.S. House seats in the state and would take effect for elections through 2030.

Proposition 50 would replace the current congressional map with a temporary map drawn by the state legislature and signed by the governor, a move supporters frame as a response to recent redistricting in other states. In the ad, Obama says "Democracy is on the ballot November 4" and urges Californians to vote yes, adding "You can stop Republicans in their tracks," language aimed at countering recent Republican-led redistricting in states including Texas that boosted GOP representation.

Supporters, including Governor Gavin Newsom and several national Democratic figures, argue the change is needed to offset what they view as aggressive redistricting by Republican-controlled legislatures that have increased GOP seats elsewhere. They say Proposition...