Former President Barack Obama endorsed Gavin Newsom's Prop. 50 redistricting measure, which was approved by 65% of California voters and could net Democrats five seats in the House of Representatives in the midterms, according to political analysts. The move came after Newsom asked Obama for advice over the redistricting initiative. The former president's support for the measure surprised Newsom due to his commitment to the principle of "When they go low, we go high" during his presidency. The gerrymander could lead to retirements from lawmakers like Rep. Darrell Issa, who retired after the gerrymand.