photo credit: CA State Assembly 
The proposed new map.

New polling suggests more Californians support Proposition 50, Governor Gavin Newsom’s controversial redistricting proposal, than oppose it.

The poll was conducted by UC Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies. 

It shows 48 percent of likely voters surveyed say they support temporarily suspending the state’s independent redistricting commission and adopting a new congressional map. 32 percent oppose it.

Most Democrats support Prop 50 while an overwhelming majority of Republicans say they’ll vote no.

Rusty Hicks chairs the California Democratic Party. He says a lot has changed politically since the independent commission was established over 15 years ago.

"And I believe California voters and residents understand that having felt the full weight and force of an administration who is hell bent on taking our nation back to some dark, dark days," Hicks said.

Republicans say they’ll campaign hard against Prop 50 and have already begun fundraising.

Matt Rexroad, a GOP political consultant and redistricting expert says, ultimately this special election will be about more than just redrawn lines.

"This election is not going to be decided on redistricting," Rexroad said. "I personally love redistricting. I wish people would talk about it all the time. But the issue that voters are going to vote on in this election will be do you support President Trump or do you support Gavin Newsom?"

The poll also found a majority of Californians want Newsom to be a vocal critic of Trump rather than taking a cooperative approach.

The poll shows Republicans overwhelmingly oppose the measure. Many have criticized it for skirting the state’s independent redistricting rules.

The numbers also indicate support for Prop 50 is strongest in the San Francisco Bay Area while it lags in the San Joaquin Valley.