Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, during a talk with Chapman University students, sharply criticized Proposition 50, the congressional redistricting measure before voters in the state’s special election.
Should voters pass the measure, California’s congressional maps would be redrawn in a way meant to boost Democrats with five extra seats. Gov. Gavin Newsom and supporters of Prop. 50 have touted it as an effort to counter similar gerrymandering in Republican-led states at the behest of President Donald Trump.
Schwarzenegger railed against what he saw as tit-for-tat tactics in the redistricting battle.
“They’re trying to tell the people they have to out-cheat the Republicans in order to fight fire with fire, to preserve democracy in America,” Schwarzenegger said about the proponents of Prop. 50. “In the meantime, they’re destroying and tearing up the constitution in California.”
It used to be up to the California Legislature to determine district boundaries for congressional and legislative seats, but voters changed that in 2008 when they narrowly passed a proposition giving that responsibility to a group of independent commissioners.
The 14-member California Citizens Redistricting Commission is made up of five Republicans, five Democrats and four who are not affiliated with the two major parties.
The former Republican governor encouraged students to vote in the special election and form their own opinions about the ballot initiative.
“I’m not going to tell you how you should vote,” Schwarzenegger said Tuesday evening, Oct. 28, to a crowd of roughly 1,000 people. “Just go out and vote; let your voices be heard.”
Before a captivated audience at Chapman’s Musco Center for the Arts, Schwarzenegger reflected on his illustrious, decades-long career as a professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman and politician.
The 38th — and last Republican — governor of California shared humorous anecdotes about making it in Hollywood as an Austrian with thick muscles and a thicker accent; the real estate investments that made him a millionaire before 25; and the many ventures that keep him busy these days.
Schwarzenegger, 78, also lamented the deepening polarization that has hamstrung politics since his time in office.
“I think America is going through a very difficult time,” Schwarzenegger told moderator Stephen Galloway, the dean of Chapman’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts. “Politicians think first about their parties, then they think about the people.”
Still, Schwarzenegger said he remains hopeful, telling the audience that political crises are hardly rare. After all, he said, the U.S. has “turned it around and come back” from the riots and assassinations of 1968, the year he immigrated from Austria, and the ensuing trauma of the Vietnam War and Watergate scandal.
“The important thing is we protect democracy no matter the cost,” Schwarzenegger said to loud applause.
When asked by Galloway, Schwarzenegger said Tuesday that he’ll never again run for governor. (He would not be able to, as California has a lifetime term limit of two four-year terms for governors.)
“I have the greatest life now,” he said. “I’m doing movies, addressing homeless issues, health care issues, infrastructure issues.”
For the past couple of months, Schwarzenegger has been focused on urging voters to reject Prop. 50. During his tenure as governor from 2003 to 2011, he backed ballot measures that established the independent redistricting commission that Prop. 50 would temporarily suspend through 2030.
Schwarzenegger’s talk at Chapman was part of the Argyros Distinguished Lecture series, a program that invites business leaders to share career insights with students.