California escalates Texas redistricting fight with November ballot measure

9/8/2025 12:12

California's governor said on Friday he will ask voters to approve a ballot measure in November redrawing the state's congressional map in a way likely to create five more Democratic seats, escalating a redistricting war with the Republican-led state of Texas and President Donald Trump.



Texas Republicans have drawn a new congressional map aimed at flipping five Democratic seats in the November 2026 midterm election, with the battle for control of the U.S. House of Representatives expected to be closely fought.



Governor Gavin Newsom and other California Democrats on Friday characterized their latest effort as an "emergency," a temporary strategy to neutralize Republican moves they see aimed at gaming the system.



"We are trying to defend democracy, as opposed to seeing it destroyed district by district," Newsom said during a news conference in Sacramento. He was flanked by Democratic leaders of the California legislature and members of the state's congressional district, including former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.



The Democrats said they expected to have a newly agreed-upon map, based on previous plans reviewed by the state's independent redistricting commission, ready for public scrutiny next week, three months before it would go to voters.