California Voters Approve Democratic-drawn Congressional Map As National Redistricting Battle Spreads

California voters person approved a caller legislature representation drawn by authorities Democrats, NBC News projects, giving nan statement nan chance to summation up to 5 House seats successful adjacent year’s midterm elections and antagonistic Republican redistricting efforts successful different states.

The support of nan ballot measurement allows California Democrats to temporarily circumvent nan independent committee that typically controls nan redistricting process and enact a much partisan map. The greenish ray from voters will thief Democrats limit, but not eliminate, nan governmental disadvantage they’re group to look successful nan 2026 elections aft Republicans successful respective different states, astir notably Texas, redrew maps this twelvemonth to boost their party.

Follow nan predetermination unrecorded here

In summation to Texas, wherever nan GOP hopes to summation an further 5 House seats nether caller territory lines, Republicans successful Missouri and North Carolina person passed maps designed to nett nan statement a caller spot successful each state. A mandatory redraw successful Ohio could besides use Republicans. And President Donald Trump has continued to push GOP-led states for illustration Indiana and Kansas to thief statement up nan party’s constrictive House majority.

While immoderate Democratic governors and lawmakers are trying to redraw their maps, too, they look further ineligible and procedural hurdles that aren’t coming successful reddish states because galore of them ceded nan powerfulness to redistrict successful caller years to independent aliases bipartisan commissions.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom pushed difficult for Democrats’ redistricting plan, accusing Trump and Republicans of “rigging” nan midterms elections pinch their different determination to redraw legislature maps for definitive partisan summation extracurricular of nan regular decennial rhythm linked to nan census. California Democrats named nan measure that authorized nan typical predetermination nan “Election Rigging Response Act,” aliases Proposition 50, and nan flurry of ads blanketing nan authorities successful support of nan measurement underscore that point.

“Donald Trump is retired of control, imposing forbidden tariffs that wounded our system and denying disaster assistance to California families. Now he’s attempting an unprecedented powerfulness drawback to bargain legislature seats and rig nan 2026 election. But we tin extremity him,” a narrator says successful one of nan awesome ads from a group supporting "yes" connected Prop 50.

“Prop 50, nan Election Rigging Response Act, thwarts Trump’s scheme,” nan narrator continues. “Prop 50 levels nan playing section successful nan midterms and gives voters nan powerfulness to cheque Trump.”

There’s been almost $100 cardinal successful contributions and advertisement spending successful nan race, according to run finance reports and information from AdImpact, a governmental ad-tracker.

But while Republicans began saber-rattling and promised to spell toe-to-toe pinch nan Democratic efforts, nan power and spending for nan run to conclusion nan ballot inaugural fizzled down nan stretch. The 2 sides were successful unsmooth parity connected spending connected nan airwaves successful nan first period aft nan predetermination was announced, $16 cardinal to $17 cardinal connected either side. Then nan “Yes” broadside spent $63 cardinal connected ads successful nan last six weeks, compared to little than $16 cardinal from nan “No” side.

The strength of nan “No” side’s spending waned successful nan last weeks, but it had salient backers, including erstwhile Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican.

“California voters established an independent committee led by citizens to extremity rigged elections. Prop 50 cancels this historical reform, putting nan politicians backmost successful charge,” nan narrator says successful an ad featuring Schwarzenegger calling connected voters to formed a “no” ballot to “protect” democracy.”

California already sends 43 Democrats and 9 Republicans to Congress, but multiple nonpartisan analyses of the caller maps show that nan caller lines could let Democrats to flip arsenic galore arsenic 5 seats by making it harder for Republican Reps. Doug LaMalfa, Darrell Issa, Ken Calvert, Kevin Kiley and David Valadao to triumph re-election.

The result is acold but definite — and astir of these Republican lawmakers person won reliable races earlier — but redrawing nan lines to adhd much Democratic voters into their districts will make it reliable sledding adjacent fall, particularly because nan statement successful powerfulness typically faces governmental headwinds successful nan midterms.