The odds are astronomically high that California voters will ratify Proposition 50, Gov. Gavin Newsom's scheme to grab five more congressional seats for his Democratic Party. However, passage may have little or no impact on next year's congressional elections since it merely offsets the five-seat grab that Texas Republicans enacted earlier at President Donald Trump's behest. What happens vis-a-vis redistricting in other states, particularly those controlled by Republicans, is more likely to determine the 2026 election's parameters
One of the biggest takeaways from Kamala Harris's new book is that there's no love lost between her and Governor Gavin Newsom, after each has risen separately out of the same political orbit over the past 25 years. Longtime California residents may remember how, while Gavin was still lieutenant governor and Kamala was still attorney general, it became clear that they would be rivals of some kind.