BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — California is preparing for a special election next month, with Proposition 50 at the center of the debate. The ballot measure would redraw congressional districts across the state, raising concerns in Kern County about the future of agricultural representation in Washington.
Kern County farmers worry the proposal will weaken their voices in Congress. Jason Giannelli, a fourth-generation farmer who lives in the 22nd Congressional District, said he fears new boundaries will dilute the influence of agriculture in favor of partisan politics.
“I just worry about if we’re not going to have the right representation, someone who’s not exactly from the valley,” Giannelli said. “We don’t need to play politics with our food source. We’re already doing it because water is obviously political.”
The 22nd District is currently represented by Republican Rep. David Valadao. If approved, Proposition 50 would make Valadao’s district one of the state’s most competitive, according to political analyst Ian Anderson.
“We’re talking about which priorities make it into Congress,” Anderson said. “When we’re talking about oil regulation or any sort of agricultural stimulus, we can even be talking about the impact of tariffs.”
Statewide, farmers are opposing the measure. The California Farm Bureau,which represents more than 26,000 farm and ranch families, issuing an official statement Friday.
“Proposition 50 not only divides farmland but also weakens the voting power of the people who work on farms, ranches and fields to grow our nation’s food,” said Shannon Douglass, president of the Bureau. “Rural California faces looming challenges on the horizon related to water, workforce, infrastructure and how to continue farming for the next generation. Communities deserve congressional members who will understand and prioritize our needs, and who will fight on our behalf.”
Anderson noted the measure is billed as temporary but would remain in place until 2030. He said five years is significant for industries dependent on federal policy, particularly agriculture.
“When we’re talking about local representation of ag, oil or anything else, the question is whether this representation will fairly reflect in Congress what the local community wants,” Anderson said.
Giannelli added that farming is already a volatile business, and long-term changes to representation could carry lasting consequences. “Farming, that’s a lifetime. I mean, five years, prices change all the time, what we do,” he said.
Ballots for the November 4 special election are scheduled to be mailed out Monday.
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