Arnold Schwarzenegger boasts on his X profile that “I killed the Predator,” but even he was stunned more than 20 years ago, shortly after being elected governor of California, when he saw how unfairly the state’s voting districts were drawn. One district in the eastern part of the state had such a long, narrow middle that it was nicknamed the “swan.” Another was called the “Jesus district” because you’d have to walk on water to cross from one side to the other. A third, in LA’s San Fernando Valley, was famously described by Stanford law professor Pam Karlan as “a ghastly-looking, multi-headed, insect-like polygon with 385 sides.”
This was the age-old dark art of gerrymandering, used by whichever party held a majority in the state legislature to maintain their power. To Schwarzenegger, a political newcomer after his Hollywood action career, it looked like election-rigging. “For a long time I thought that was something from the 1800s,” he said in a 2005 speech, “but the practice is still alive and well today.”
What shocked Schwarzenegger wasn’t that Democrats, who controlled the legislature then as now, were taking seats from Republicans—Republicans had done the same thing decades earlier. Instead, he was troubled that gerrymandering weakened the power of people’s votes. In 2004, the year before his speech, not one of California’s 153 congressional and state legislative seats changed party control. “What kind of democracy is that?” he asked.
It was an unusual question for a U.S. politician at the time, as most officials from both parties accepted gerrymandering as part of politics. But it set Schwarzenegger on a path of reform that he has stuck with ever since.
First, he proposed having a panel of judges take over redistricting from the legislature. When voters rejected that, he pushed for an independent redistricting commission, which began redrawing state legislative lines in 2008 and congressional districts in 2010. This reform has remained popular and made California one of the most competitive states for U.S. House seats.
Schwarzenegger has no plans to abandon this legacy, even as Texas Republicans, following Donald Trump’s orders, redrew their maps to add five more Republican-leaning districts, and California’s current governor, Gavin Newsom, vowed to “fight fire with fire” by suspending the independent commission and adding five Democrat-leaning districts.
“I’m not going to go back on my promise,” Schwarzenegger told the New York Times last week. “I’m going to fight for my promise.” A rare moderate Republican in an increasingly radical party, Schwarzenegger is an outspoken critic of Trump and disapproved of what he asked Texas Republicans to do.
But he argued that stooping to the same level in California wasn’t the answer, even if Newsom framed his plan as temporary. “We are not going to go into a stinking contest with a skunk,” Schwarzenegger said. “We are moving forward.”
To emphasize his commitment, Schwarzenegger wore a T-shirt during the interview—and later posted it on X—that read: “F the politicians, terminate gerrymandering.”
This sets the stage for a showdown between the current California governor, who will take his emergency redistricting proposal to voters in November, and the formidable former governor. Schwarzenegger has already begun tapping into his old…Political networks are being mobilized to build a campaign and fundraising operation aimed at stopping Governor Gavin Newsom. According to his staff, Newsom is planning a major policy speech in September, which will effectively serve as the launch of his campaign.
This issue is energizing Republicans across California. Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy aims to raise over $100 million to defeat Newsom’s Proposition 50, also referred to as the Election Rigging Response Act. Billionaire Charles Munger Jr., son of Warren Buffett’s longtime business partner, has reportedly pledged $30 million toward the same effort.
The California Young Republican Federation has labeled Newsom’s initiative a “dangerous power grab,” echoing Democratic criticisms of the Trump-influenced gerrymandering in Texas. Steve Hilton, a leading Republican candidate to succeed Newsom next year, is helping lead a legal challenge against the proposal.
Hilton argues that the independent redistricting commission was already biased in favor of Democrats, noting that while Republicans won nearly 40% of the vote in California last November, they hold only 17% of the state’s U.S. House seats. He claims that with truly independent districting, Republicans would gain about 12 additional seats. (Commissioners would counter that he overlooks several highly competitive races in Republican-leaning districts that Democrats narrowly won.)
Initial polling on Newsom’s initiative is inconclusive. Voters appear divided between supporting independently drawn districts and understanding the desire to counter Republican actions in Texas—a view held by a narrow plurality, especially among Democrats. Independents and Republicans are far more skeptical, if not outright opposed.
The campaign against Newsom faces an inherent disadvantage, as Democrats have not lost a statewide election in California since 2006. While California voters may not be as liberal as Republicans sometimes claim, they have consistently shown strong opposition to anything associated with former President Trump.
Arnold Schwarzenegger is likely to be a key figure in the anti-Newsom effort. He has no affinity for Trump and has long advocated for independent redistricting commissions, transcending partisan lines. Since leaving office in 2010, he has campaigned for independent commissions in both blue and red states and has spoken at the Supreme Court during gerrymandering cases.
Schwarzenegger may also help bridge the gap between Republican partisans and civic groups like the League of Women Voters of California, which views Newsom’s initiative as a dangerous precedent. The League warned that temporary exceptions often become permanent, and breaking established safeguards could cause long-term damage to democratic norms.
On Thursday, California’s state legislature voted to place Newsom’s initiative on the ballot. However, after Texas finalized its own maps, lawmakers removed a clause that would have automatically abandoned California’s proposed gerrymander if Texas reversed course. Democratic lawmakers argued the clause was unnecessary since Texas had already acted, but its removal may fuel perceptions that Democrats, who hold a supermajority, are no longer interested in fairness—a concern Schwarzenegger raised back in 2005.“They are serving the interests of those in office, not the interests of the people who elected them,” he said at the time. “And we must reform it.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of FAQs about Arnold Schwarzeneggers efforts to end partisan gerrymandering in California designed to be clear and helpful for all levels of understanding
General Beginner Questions
1 What is partisan manipulation of electoral districts
Its more commonly called gerrymandering Its when the political party in power draws the boundaries of voting districts to unfairly favor their own candidates and make it harder for the opposing party to win elections
2 Who is Arnold Schwarzenegger in this context
He is the former Republican Governor of California who made reforming this process a major goal of his administration arguing it was corrupt and bad for democracy
3 What did Schwarzenegger actually do about it
He championed and helped pass Proposition 11 in 2008 and Proposition 20 in 2010 These initiatives took the power to draw district lines away from the state legislature and gave it to an independent nonpartisan citizens commission
4 What is the Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission
Its a 14person commission made up of regular California citizens5 Democrats 5 Republicans and 4 who are not affiliated with either major party Their job is to draw district lines based on fair criteria not politics
Benefits Goals
5 What was the main goal of this reform
To create fairer more competitive elections where politicians have to listen to all their constituents not just their partys base The goal is to make politicians accountable to voters rather than voters being presorted into safe districts for one party
6 What are the benefits of having an independent commission
It reduces backroom political deals creates districts that make geographic and community sense and gives independent and thirdparty voters a stronger voice It leads to more moderate candidates who have to appeal to a broader audience
7 Did it work
Generally yes Californias redistricting process is now widely seen as a national model for fairness It has led to more competitive elections and districts that better represent the states diverse communities
Common Problems Opposition
8 Was there any opposition to this change
Yes strongly The politicians and political parties who were in power and benefiting from the old system fiercely opposed it They argued it was unnecessary too expensive
