California voters have approved a constitutional amendment that will redraw the state’s congressional districts to favor Democrats, marking a significant win for Gov. Newsom and his party amid nationwide redistricting battles.

The Associated Press announced the passage of Proposition 50, which allows for the implementation of a gerrymandered congressional district map until 2030, immediately after polls closed, even before the official vote count.

Typically, district maps are redrawn every ten years following the census, and in California, an independent commission usually manages this process. However, Newsom spearheaded this measure to counter Republican efforts in Texas, influenced by former President Trump, to redraw their maps and potentially add five more Republican-leaning House seats.

“You have the power to stand up to Donald Trump,” Newsom stated in an advertisement supporting Proposition 50, featuring prominent Democrats such as former President Barack Obama, New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren.

This partisan conflict arose after Trump urged Republican-controlled states, including Texas, to redistrict in order to maintain the party’s majority in the House, prompting Democrats to respond with their own redistricting efforts.

“Proposition 50—The Election Rigging Response Act—approves temporary, emergency congressional district maps to counter Donald Trump’s scheme to rig next year’s congressional election and reaffirms California’s commitment to independent, nonpartisan redistricting after the next census,” the state’s reference guide argued in favor of the measure. “Vote Yes on 50 for democracy in all 50 states.”

Pre-election polls revealed significant partisan divisions among voters, with a statewide survey indicating that almost 85% of Democrats supported the measure while 89% of Republicans opposed it. Independents were more divided, with a slight majority (55%) favoring Prop 50.

Now that the proposition has passed, here’s what you need to know about its implications for California’s congressional maps and the broader redistricting landscape.

How will California’s congressional maps change?

The new congressional maps proposed by California Democrats, which Proposition 50 will enact, aim to secure five additional House seats for the party. However, the actual impact will depend on the outcomes of races within those districts.

Among the affected areas are two Latino-majority battleground districts, the 13th and 22nd, which could remain competitive even with the gerrymandered maps, according to the Sacramento Bee. The 22nd is currently represented by Republican Rep. David Valadao, who defeated former Democratic state assemblyman Rudy Salas by securing 53% of the vote in 2024. In the 13th, Democratic Rep. Adam Gray unseated Republican John Duarte last year by a narrow margin.

The new maps will also affect rural residents in Northern California, realigning district boundaries to include voters in three counties that favored Trump alongside more liberal communities.

After 2030, the 14-member Independent Redistricting Commission, comprised of an equal number of Democrats and Republicans, which has overseen California’s congressional map-drawing since 2010, will resume its usual role in the process.

A national battle over redistricting

California is among several states where lawmakers are taking steps to redistrict mid-decade, or considering it, as Republicans and Democrats seek to counteract each other’s efforts to gain an advantage in the House.

Republicans, who are defending their control of both houses of Congress in the upcoming elections, currently hold a slim majority of 219 seats. Historically, the President’s party tends to lose seats in midterm elections.

Besides Texas, which approved its redrawn maps during the summer, Missouri has also responded to Trump’s call by passing new maps intended to create an additional Republican seat. However, these maps may need voter approval in a referendum next November before implementation.

North Carolina and Georgia have also approved new maps, and Indiana Gov. Mike Braun is considering redrawing his state’s map following pressure from Vice President J.D. Vance on Indiana Republicans. (Ohio was already mandated to redraw its congressional map this year, and the newly approved map enhances Republican chances of winning seats in two districts.)

On the Democratic side, Minnesota’s legislature has initiated the complex process of amending the state constitution to allow for redistricting.

The governors of Illinois and New York have also indicated potential support for redistricting. However, they may encounter obstacles. In New York, similar to California, an independent commission is responsible for drawing maps, and voters would need to approve a constitutional amendment for redistricting. In Illinois, the state House’s top Republican has questioned whether Gov. Pritzker has sufficient support, and even a successful effort might not yield significant gains, given that Democrats already hold two of the state’s three House seats.

In Maryland, redistricting efforts have sparked intra-party tensions among Democratic leaders. Gov. Wes Moore and state House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones have expressed support for redrawing the state’s congressional maps, while Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson has opposed such a move. In an October letter to Maryland Senate Democrats, Ferguson argued that mid-decade redistricting would be “too risky” and would undermine “trust in institutions, and ultimately, democracy.”

Moore intends to proceed regardless. “The General Assembly is a large body, so while I have read the Senate President’s letter, I also know that one person cannot stop a process,” the governor told the press last week. On Tuesday, he announced the launch of a redistricting advisory commission to consider redrawing Maryland’s maps.

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