Voters in California have given Gov. Gavin Newsom the green light to redraw the state’s congressional maps ahead of next year’s midterm elections.
NBC News’ Decision Desk projected resounding approval for Proposition 50, which will allow the state to temporarily scrap its independent redistricting commission and use a more Democratic-friendly congressional map in 2026.
The measure, which was put on the ballot in August, was a direct response to Donald Trump’s efforts to redraw congressional maps in his party’s favor in several Republican-controlled states across the country. Democrats in California are expected to net five additional seats in the House next year to counter the five seats Republicans are likely to gain in Texas.
Before Tuesday’s vote, Newsom accused Trump of “rigging the game,” and said this was his state’s chance to “fight fire with fire.”
Under Newsom’s plan, Democrats could control as many as 48 of the state’s 52 congressional seats — up from the 43 seats the party currently holds.
Proposition 50’s passage marks Democrats’ first foray into what some have described as the “redistricting arms race,” as both parties seek to improve their electoral chances ahead of 2026.
The proposition was backed by several high-profile Democrats, including former President Barack Obama and former Vice President Kamala Harris.
In one ad, the former president said the legislation would put “our elections back on a level playing field,” and told Californians they had the power to “stop Republicans in their tracks.”
Typically, states commission new congressional maps every 10 years using U.S. census data. The last set of maps, drawn in 2020, was expected to be used until 2030.
Earlier this year, at the president’s urging, Republicans in several states started that process in the middle of the decade in an effort to defend the party’s razor-thin majority in the House. Trump’s push began in Texas in July, when he asked Republicans to schedule a special session to consider new maps. After a high-profile fight with the state’s Democrats, which included dozens of lawmakers leaving Texas in protest, Republicans passed the gerrymandered maps and Gov. Greg Abbott signed off on the legislation in August. Trump then expanded his pressure campaign to other states, with Missouri and North Carolina following Texas’ lead. Indiana is set to convene a special session in December to consider new congressional districts, and Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida has called for a special session to redraw his state’s maps. In addition to Newsom’s effort in California, Democrats in New York, Virginia and Illinois are considering ways to modify their congressional maps.
Allison Detzel is an editor/producer for MS NOW.
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