California will ask voters this fall to decide whether to redraw this state’s congressional lines after its Democratic-controlled Legislature formally approved a sweeping redistricting plan on Thursday, a response to GOP-led efforts in Texas.
The plan, if voters give it the green light, could give Democrats five additional House seats, potentially nullifying the gains Republicans hope to get through Texas redistricting.
Here are five things to know about the Golden State’s redistricting plan:
What does the ballot measure say?
The measure approved by the state legislature is set to go on a November special election ballot as Proposition 50, a proposed constitutional amendment named for the 50 states.
Prop 50 would, if approved by California voters in November, allow for the adoption of new congressional maps that were laid out in a separate bill passed by the legislature, aiming to create five Democratic pickup opportunities.
The current districts, drawn by the citizens redistricting commission after the last census, would be bypassed until the commission draws new boundary lines in 2031.
The text of the amendment proposal cites President Trump’s call for Republican-led states “to undertake an unprecedented mid-decade redistricting of congressional seats to rig the 2026 United States midterm elections before voting begins,” pointing out efforts in Texas, Florida, Ohio and elsewhere.
“It is the intent of the people that California’s temporary maps be designed to neutralize the partisan gerrymandering being threatened by Republican-led states without eroding fair representation for all communities,” the resolution section reads.
How much support is there for redistricting?
Democratic leaders in and out of California have rallied support behind the redistricting effort.
Still, Newsom and Golden State Democrats will likely have to campaign to make sure the measure gets the majority vote it needs to pass.
California’s independent redistricting commission, which typically redraws lines once a decade, was a popular move — and experts predict voters will need clear assurances that bypassing it is temporary.
A Politico-Citrin Center-Possibility Lab survey taken earlier this month found that just 36 percent of California voters support returning congressional redistricting authority to the state legislature, compared to 64 percent who back the independent redistricting commission — though the poll question notably didn’t specify whether such a change would be temporary.
But a POLITICO-UC Berkeley Citrin Center survey conducted last week found that while 70 percent of Democratic voters across the country think gerrymandering is “never acceptable,” 63 percent majority think California should nevertheless “fight back” against efforts in red states.
Despite bypassing its citizen commission for the temporary redistricting, the proposed measure text itself acknowledges that it’s California policy “to support the use of fair, independent, and nonpartisan redistricting commissions nationwide” and calls on Congress to pass federal legislation for a U.S. Constitutional amendment that requires the system nationwide.
Which Republicans will be affected by the new maps?
California’s map proposal would give Democrats a chance at five more House seats in the Golden State, where they already hold 43 of 52 slots.
Rep. Kevin Kiley (R), who has proposed federal legislation that would ban mid-decade redistricting nationwide, would be one of the lawmakers most impacted. Kiley on Thursday claimed he was “the No. 1 target” and challenged Newsom to a debate “on the merits of his proposal.”
Rep. Doug LaMalfa’s (R) seat would jump from a district Trump won by double digits to one that would have gone to former Vice President Harris by more than 10 points, according to Cook Political Report. Rep. Ken Calvert’s (R) seat would be effectively replaced by a new Latino-majority seat in central Los Angeles County that could make for a strong Democratic pickup opportunity.
Republican Reps. Darrel Issa and David Valadao would also be drawn into more competitive districts, though election analysts suggest both seats could still be tough for Democrats to flip.
Meanwhile, Democrats who saw tough fights in 2024 could get a boost for the midterms with safer lines.
Republicans hold a slim 219-212 majority in the House, and control of Congress could come down to just a few seats next November.
When and for how long would the maps take effect?
If voters approve the maps in the special election, they’ll take effect ahead of next year’s high-stakes midterms and hold through the ’26, ’28 and ’30 elections.
The maps, proposed in part by the Democrats’ House campaign arm, will effectively circumvent the independent redistricting commission until the end of the decade. After 2030, the power to redistrict would revert back to the independent commission, and the Golden State would resume redrawing its lines once a decade, in line with the U.S. Census.
Advocates for the redistricting plan have stressed that it’s a temporary change, made necessary by the GOP efforts elsewhere.
Top Democrats have lauded California’s maneuvering.
Former President Obama told a Tuesday fundraiser for the National Democratic Redistricting Committee that -– though he sees a “long-term goal” to end political gerrymandering in America — Newsom is taking “a reasonable approach” with the temporary plans, according to excerpts shared by CNN.
What are critics saying?
Opponents of the redistricting plan say it goes against the will of the voters, who approved the independent redistricting commission back in 2008 and 2010.
“If we abandon the independent redistricting process that Californians created, we don’t just lose a tool, we lose trust,” said Assemblymember Greg Wallis (R) on Thursday.
Reform California is one group calling for a no vote on Prop 50, arguing that the special election is a “costly and unnecessary” venture that would “end fair elections” in California.
An estimate by Assembly Republicans calculated that the venture would cost taxpayers more than $235 million, CalMatters reports.
During hours of debate over the legislative package on Thursday, Republicans also railed against the pace of action, which included a gut-and-amend process to move the material forward, and questioned who drew the maps.
California GOP legislators earlier this week filed suit with a petition asking the state Supreme Court to block action on the legislation, arguing that the sprint to vote on the legislation package violated the state constitution. The state court rejected that petition on Wednesday, allowing the efforts to move forward in the Legislature.
Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) is among the Golden State Republicans who have vowed to fight the redistricting effort by campaigning against the measure.
