California Governor Gavin Newsom announced Thursday that the state will hold a special election on November 4 to allow voters to decide on a mid-decade congressional redistricting plan.
The proposal, if approved, would implement new district maps for the 2026, 2028, and 2030 House elections, before returning authority to the state’s independent redistricting commission after the 2030 census. Newsom emphasized that the independent commission system would remain intact in the long term but argued that a one-time, voter-approved redrawing is needed.
The move comes amid a wave of redistricting initiatives in Republican-led states such as Texas, Florida, and Ohio, as well as discussions in Indiana and Missouri. These efforts could potentially deliver nine or more additional Republican seats in the U.S. House, strengthening the GOP’s current 219–212 majority ahead of the 2026 elections.
California’s independent redistricting commission was established to reduce partisan influence in map drawing. However, Newsom framed the special election as a way for Californians to counterbalance Republican-led gerrymandering elsewhere. He also urged Congress to pass a national redistricting commission law to end partisan map drawing nationwide, blaming congressional Republicans for blocking such measures in the past.
Christian Martinez, spokesperson for the National Republican Congressional Committee, dismissed the announcement as a “political stunt” aimed at consolidating Democratic power rather than serving Californians.
California, a longtime Democratic stronghold and the most populous state in the U.S., holds more congressional seats than any other state, including Texas.
