Gov. Gavin Newsom's Prop. 50 redistricting gamble paid off Tuesday. Democrats beat or led Republicans across California's targeted House races, the Los Angeles Times reported. "We fought fire with fire," Newsom said on X. "And won."
But the 2028 spotlight went elsewhere, The San Francisco Standard reported. Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff easily won reelection in a state Trump carried and by Wednesday morning had overtaken Newsom in early 2028 prediction markets, despite saying he would not run.
Even in San Francisco, where Newsom was mayor, a USC poll found Democrats naming Pete Buttigieg (21%) and Ossoff (20%) at the top of their open-ended presidential picks, the Standard reported. Newsom is term-limited and leaves office in January.
Some analysts told the Times that voter anger, not new maps, drove the wins. Paul Mitchell, who drew the Prop. 50 map, disagreed and told the Standard that Newsom "reset the tone that created this environment."
Vote counts cited here are unofficial. Bay Area counties are still processing mail and provisional ballots, and results are not certified until later this month, so margins can change.