California’s Democratic-controlled Legislature passed bills Thursday setting up a high-profile special election this fall, when voters will decide whether to approve the party’s plan to gerrymander California’s congressional map.
Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, who signed the legislation shortly after it passed, has championed the plan as a political counterweight to Texas’ recent move to create more Republican seats there as both parties get ready for a 2026 election in which control of Congress will be up for grabs.
Both the state Assembly and the state Senate passed the redistricting legislation Thursday, each with the two-thirds vote needed to enact “urgent” measures in the state. With Newsom’s signature, now it’s up to the voters to decide whether to temporarily sidestep the state’s independent redistricting commission, which voters put in place to handle the issue once every decade.
The new Democratic-drawn maps, proposed in the Legislature less than one week ago, serve a transparent political purpose: countering Texas Republicans’ new map, which could net the party five more congressional seats amid the fierce battle for control of the House in next year’s midterm elections.
California Democrats have criticized Republicans, particularly President Donald Trump, who told CNBC amid Texas’ push to redraw its maps that his party was “entitled to five more seats” from Texas.
If voters approve their plan, California’s new map could serve as a counterweight to Texas’ changes, as analysis from the University of Virginia Center for Politics shows “the proposed California map could allow Democrats to win up to five more seats in 2026,” potentially endangering GOP Reps. Doug LaMalfa, Darrell Issa, Ken Calvert and David Valadao.
Newsom and Democratic allies have been trumpeting a need to redraw the lines to cancel out the move by Texas, arguing Republicans there are trying to insulate Trump from the political repercussions of his policies. Also Thursday, a political committee to support the Newsom-backed ballot measure disclosed $2 million in donations from the governor’s political committee, as well as $3 million from national Democrats’ super PAC focused on House races.
As promised, and the managed to pass this before the Texas Lege finished passing theirs. It should be noted that this will only apply if the Texas map passes, so there’s still a (highly unlikely) off ramp. And California voters will have to approve the initiative, which should pass but will require some convincing of skeptics. The battle is far from over, and other states are going to join in as well. Whatever else you can say, Dems did not take this lying down.