California's redistricting play sets up fight for control of Congress
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California Gov. Gavin Newsom says the state will advance a plan to draw new congressional maps — a move he claims will "end the Trump presidency" and flip the U.S. House to Democrats.
Why it matters: Newsom's gambit escalates a red-versus-blue-state standoff ahead of the 2026 midterms — a fight that could decide control of Congress.
Driving the news: The Golden State governor mocked the president's bombastic style in a Tuesday-evening post on X, referring to President Trump in all caps as "Donald 'Taco' Trump" before declaring that California would draw "historic" and "more 'beautiful maps'" to have Trump removed from office and help Democrats "take back the House."
What he's saying: "BIG PRESS CONFERENCE THIS WEEK WITH POWERFUL DEMS AND GAVIN NEWSOM — YOUR FAVORITE GOVERNOR — THAT WILL BE DEVASTATING FOR 'MAGA'," he wrote.
Catch up quick: After Texas Republicans pushed ahead with off‑cycle congressional redistricting under pressure from Trump, Newsom proposed a "trigger" ballot measure: California would redraw its own electoral maps if Texas proceeded with its plan.
- Newsom previously said he intends to hold a special election on Nov. 4 for voters to approve a yet-to-be-drawn map aimed at increasing Democratic seats.
- "We'll fight fire with fire," Newsom said late last week. "We'll assert ourselves, and we'll punch above our weight, and it will have profound impacts on the national outcome, not just here in the state of California."
- The Legislature would need to vote to send the measure to a special election before voters could weigh in.
Context: Trump ignited the redistricting arms race last month by urging Texas Republicans to redraw their maps to gain seats, with Missouri and Ohio following suit.
- New York and California, Democratic bastions, quickly promised to answer in kind.
- The U.S. Supreme Court unleashed the partisan gerrymandering floodgates in 2019, when it ruled federal courts had no right to rein in the practice.
Between the lines: California's initiative would amend a 2008 voter-approved measure that created an independent redistricting commission to do the job every decade after a new census.
- The new maps would be in place for the next three election cycles — in 2026, 2028 and 2030 — with authority then reverting to the redistricting commission.
What's next: The Legislature is out of session until Aug. 18.
- To pass Newsom's plan, lawmakers would have to waive the state's requirement that initiatives be placed on the ballot 180 days before an election.