California [US], August 9 (ANI): California Governor Gavin Newsom announced on Friday that the state will move forward with plans to hold a special election in November to approve a ballot measure allowing Democrats to pass a new House map ahead of 2026. The move comes in response to Texas Republicans’ efforts to create five pickup opportunities in a new House map, The Hill reported.
“We have till Aug. 22. With the leadership behind me, they will get this on the ballot. We’re calling for a special election that will be the first week of November,” Newsom said, according to The Hill.
Joined by several California lawmakers and Texas Democrats who fled their state, Newsom emphasized that the plan is not intended to eliminate the state’s independent redistricting commission, which currently draws congressional maps. “We are talking about emergency measures to respond to what’s happening in Texas, and we will nullify what happens in Texas,” he said.
Rep. Zoe Lofgren, chair of the California Democratic congressional delegation, said Democrats have developed a plan to create a new House map that could net the party five additional seats next year while complying with the Voting Rights Act. “As we went through the details of the possibilities, I’m happy to report that every single member of the California delegation is willing to support a plan to do that,” she said, as reported by The Hill.
California State Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas told reporters that the proposed maps are expected to be released next week. “Once these maps are released, voters will have the opportunity to digest these maps, review them for weeks and months leading to this election,” he said.
According to The Hill, California would be the first Democratic-led state to begin passing new congressional lines ahead of 2026 in direct reaction to Texas’s redistricting plans. While California currently uses an independent redistricting commission, Democrats aim to temporarily bypass it to protect their interests in the redistricting battles.
Newsom stressed that Democrats still support independent redistricting but argued, “We’re not going to unilaterally disarm in the state of California.” Expressing confidence in voter approval, he added, “We believe in independent redistricting — that will be on the ballot. We believe it should be nationalized — that will be on the ballot. We have the opportunity to send a message: ‘Enough.’ And I believe Republicans, not just Democrats and independents, will meet that call, and we will overwhelmingly support this change.”
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