Arnold Schwarzenegger on Monday waded into the national fight for control of the US House, urging voters to reject a California ballot proposal that would reshape congressional districts. The former Republican governor warned the plan would undermine democracy and allow politicians to “take the power away from the people.”Calling the measure “insane,” Schwarzenegger criticized Proposition 50, a Democratic-backed initiative set for the November ballot. The proposal aims to create five new Democratic House seats in California to counter Republican gains in Texas, where President Donald Trump has pushed to secure additional GOP districts ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.“It doesn’t make any sense to me that because we have to fight Trump, to become Trump,” Schwarzenegger said at the University of Southern California. “Two wrongs don’t make a right.”The plan, championed by Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom, would temporarily set aside maps drawn by California’s independent redistricting commission and replace them with new maps crafted by Democrats.If approved, the new boundaries could reduce Republican representation in the state from nine seats to just four, while boosting Democratic incumbents in swing districts. Democrats currently hold 43 of California’s 52 congressional seats, news agency Associated Press reported.Schwarzenegger, who promoted the independent commission while governor, stressed that the proposal would replace maps drawn through a public process with partisan maps created “behind closed doors” by politicians. He avoided directly criticizing Newsom or the Democratic-controlled Legislature but made clear his opposition.Last month, Schwarzenegger posted a photo on X of himself lifting weights in a T-shirt reading “Terminate Gerrymandering,” signaling he would campaign against the measure. “I’m getting ready for the gerrymandering battle,” he wrote.A centrist and longtime Trump critic, Schwarzenegger has frequently urged both parties to move away from political extremes.Despite leaving office 15 years ago, he remains a formidable political presence.“I don’t think you want to run against Arnold Schwarzenegger,” said Bill Whalen, a fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution. The fight in California mirrors a broader national battle. California and Texas, the country’s two most populous states, have become the center of a partisan turf war over House seats, with both sides using state maps and court cases as weapons ahead of the 2026 elections.At a rally in Los Angeles last month, Newsom a potential 2028 presidential contender said, “We can’t stand back and watch this democracy disappear district by district all across the country.” “Donald Trump, you have poked the bear and we will punch back,” he added.
