California Voters Approve Congressional Redistricting Measure That Could Offset Expected Republican Gains in Texas

"David Crane/The Orange County Register via AP, File California voters approved Prop 50 on Tuesday night in a move that will allow the Democratic-controlled legislature to redraw the state's congressional districts, multiple news outlets projected immediately after polls closed. The state uses an independent redistricting commission to draw its maps, but Prop 50 allows lawmakers to bypass it to draw their own."

"Governor Gavin Newsom (D) led the charge on the initiative after Republicans in Texas enacted a rare mid-decade redistricting that could result in five additional seats for Republicans. The proposed California map is drawn in a way that could potentially result in Democrats flipping five seats in the 2026 midterms. As Cal Matters reported, the proposed map would create some unusual districts and could end up pitting some Republicans against each other:"

"Under the new maps, some disparate parts of the state get lumped together, such as a wacky shaped district in the North State that combines rural and conservative Modoc County with the ultra-liberal Bay Area in Marin County. The city of Huntington Beach, a conservative stronghold in Orange County that banned the LGBTQ pride flag on city property, would be represented by a progressive, gay Peruvian immigrant, the top Democrat on the U.S. House's primary investigative committee."

California voters approved Prop 50, enabling the Democratic-controlled legislature to bypass the independent redistricting commission and redraw congressional districts. Governor Gavin Newsom spearheaded the initiative following Republican mid-decade redistricting in Texas that could add five GOP seats. The new California map could allow Democrats to flip up to five U.S. House seats in 2026 and creates unusually configured districts that combine geographically disparate areas. Some new lines could pit Republican incumbents against one another in San Diego and Riverside counties. The Huntington Beach area would fall under a district represented by a progressive, gay Peruvian immigrant, and several Democrats have already declared candidacies in the newly favorable 48th District.

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