Democrats are fighting back today.
In an intensifying partisan battle over control of Congress, California Democrats are weighing an unprecedented move: pausing the state’s independent redistricting process to blunt Republican gains and directly counter Texas' potential mid-decade redistricting maneuver.
I spoke with Congressman Ami Bera from California and he tells me that he is in full agreement with the plan to redistrict California, even if it makes his race tougher.
At a time when corporate news outlets are retreating in the face of authoritarian threats, fearless, independent journalism has never been more essential. I won’t back down. Not now. Not ever. Subscribe today. Stand with us.
Subscribe
The bold political calculus, led by California Gov. Gavin Newsom, reflects rising national tensions as President Donald Trump’s allies continue pushing a hard-right agenda—and Republican-led states such as Texas consider redrawing congressional lines mid-decade to solidify their hold on power.
Texas Republicans, under Gov. Greg Abbott, are reportedly eyeing a redistricting effort aimed at displacing Democratic members of Congress. If carried out, the move could yield more GOP seats in next year’s midterms. In response, California Democrats are exploring whether to suspend or override the state’s independent commission system, which currently prohibits partisan gerrymandering.
The intention: to eliminate GOP strongholds in California’s congressional map and maximize Democratic representation.
Such a maneuver would be a dramatic reversal for California, a state long praised for adopting nonpartisan redistricting reforms aimed at removing political influence from how districts are drawn. Critics say dismantling this model—even temporarily—would set a dangerous precedent.
Still, party leaders argue the stakes are too high. With Trump’s allies consolidating influence and red states openly testing democratic norms, California Democrats see aggressive tactics as both a defensive necessity and a moral imperative.
This move would reverberate far beyond the state’s borders. California, the most populous state, currently holds 52 seats in the U.S. House. Though most are held by Democrats, a handful of Republican-held districts in Central California and Orange County remain politically competitive. Reconfiguring those lines could significantly diminish the GOP’s national footprint.
The push comes amid a broader partisan arms race across the country. Republican-controlled states have been quicker to use redistricting to secure their advantages, while Democrats in blue states have often maintained independent systems in the name of fairness. That imbalance, some Democrats now argue, is untenable.
The redistricting debate underscores the mounting pressure facing both parties as the 2026 midterms approach. With control of the House potentially hanging in the balance, state-level tactics like these could shape national policy on immigration, climate, reproductive rights, and more.
As Gov. Newsom weighs whether to proceed with a pause or override of California’s independent redistricting mandate, all eyes will be on Sacramento—and Austin.
The once-unthinkable idea of California redrawing its congressional lines for partisan gain is no longer confined to political theory. It is, for many Democrats, a matter of strategy—and survival.