Newsom, lawmakers push voter referendum to secure
up to 5 new Democratic seats in Congress.
Los Angeles, California — Governor Gavin Newsom and
state Democratic leaders on Friday unveiled a redistricting proposal that could
flip up to five US House seats, positioning California as the counterweight to
Texas Republicans’ Trump-backed map. Voters will decide on the plan in a
November referendum.
California Democrats have released a congressional
redistricting map that they argue could reshape the political balance of power
in Washington. The proposal comes amid a heated national battle over
redistricting, with both parties maneuvering to secure advantages ahead of the
2026 midterms.
At a rally in Los Angeles, Governor Gavin Newsom
joined state legislators, members of Congress, and community leaders to present
the maps. He framed the move as a direct response to Texas Republicans, who are
advancing their own mid-decade redraw at the urging of former President Donald
Trump.
“California will not stand by while Trump and Texas
attempt to rig the election,” Newsom said. “We are putting this decision where
it belongs — in the hands of voters.”
Unlike Texas, where Republicans can implement new
maps through legislative action, California requires voter approval via
referendum. The ballot measure is expected to go before Californians in
November, potentially energizing turnout in a presidential election year.
Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas struck a defiant
tone, accusing Trump of orchestrating an “assault on democracy.” He argued that
California’s approach is transparent, empowering voters rather than political
insiders.
The maps, released publicly on Friday, suggest at
least five districts that could flip from Republican to Democratic control.
They include districts currently represented by GOP Reps. Doug LaMalfa (1st),
Kevin Kiley (3rd), Ken Calvert (41st), and Darrell Issa (48th).
A Democratic chart circulated among legislators
rates three of those districts as moving from “safe Republican” to “safe
Democratic,” with Issa’s 48th labeled “lean Democratic.”
California’s 13th District in the San Joaquin
Valley, a razor-thin battleground won by Democrat Adam Gray in 2024, would
shift from “lean Republican” to “safe Democratic.”
The proposal may also strengthen Democratic
prospects in the 22nd District, represented by GOP Rep. David Valadao, though
analysts caution the seat could remain competitive given its mixed voter base.
National Democrats have cheered California’s move
as a bold counter to Texas, where Republicans are pressing their advantage.
Trump has explicitly urged GOP governors and legislators to redraw maps early,
citing what he calls “election integrity.”
Critics, however, accuse California Democrats of
hypocrisy. Republican lawmakers argue the new maps amount to partisan
gerrymandering dressed up as reform. “This is about power, not democracy,” one
GOP strategist said.
The partisan stakes are clear: with only a narrow
Republican majority in the House, flipping five seats in California could shift
control of Congress. That prospect makes the referendum a focal point of the
2026 midterm cycle.
California Democrats insist their process is different
from Texas’s. They highlight public hearings, online map submissions, and open
access to proposed lines. “We’re giving people the chance to decide — something
Texas Republicans denied their voters,” said state Senator María Elena Durazo.
Observers note the political symbolism as well:
California and Texas, the nation’s two most populous states, are now leading
opposing campaigns that could define the contours of American democracy.
Legal challenges are also likely. Redistricting
lawsuits have proliferated across the country in recent years, with courts
increasingly asked to weigh partisan fairness against state prerogatives.
For now, the battle moves to the campaign trail.
Democrats are preparing to defend their maps in November, while Republicans
mobilize to oppose them, framing the referendum as a costly political stunt.
Regardless of outcome, the redistricting clash
underscores how states are increasingly driving the fight over representation,
with California and Texas standing as polar opposites in a broader national
struggle.