California approves special election to reshape congressional map in favor of Democrats
Last edited Thu Aug 21, 2025, 07:31 PM - Edit history (1)
Source: The Guardian
Thu 21 Aug 2025 18.34 EDT
First published on Thu 21 Aug 2025 07.41 EDT
California lawmakers on Thursday approved a sweeping redistricting proposal aimed at redrawing the state’s congressional boundaries and creating five potential new Democratic US House seats – a retaliatory strike against the gerrymandered maps Republicans in Texas are working to pass at the behest of Donald Trump. The Democratic-controlled state legislature voted to advance a legislative package revising California’s maps after hours of debate. The state’s Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, who has led the redistricting push, was expected to sign the measures shortly.
The nation’s two most populous – and ideologically opposed – states were racing on parallel tracks toward consequential redistricting votes, potentially within hours of each other. As Democrats in Sacramento signed of on a legislative package that would put their “election rigging response act” before voters in a special election this fall, Republicans in Austin were nearing a final vote on their own gerrymandering pursuit.
In California, Democratic state lawmakers were up against a Friday deadline to give the secretary of state’s office enough time to get the measure on the November ballot. The chambers debated the package simultaneously on Thursday, sending the measures back and forth until final approved was reached on the proposed congressional map, an accompanying constitutional amendment and funding to pay for the administration of the special election.
“We will not let our political system be hijacked by authoritarianism. And today, we give every Californian the power to say no,” said the Democratic assembly speaker Robert Rivas, in floor remarks before the vote. “To say no to Donald Trump’s power grab and yes to our people, to our state and to our democracy.”
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/21/california-legislature-redistricting-plan
Article updated.
Original article -
First published on Thu 21 Aug 2025 07.41 EDT
California lawmakers have authorized a November special election to ask voters to redraw the state’s congressional boundaries and create five potential new Democratic US House seats. The state legislature voted to advance the redistricting plan on Thursday after hours of debate. The state’s Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, who has led the redistricting push, is expected to sign the bill shortly.
The effort in California is an answer to the Republican redistricting push in Texas, sought by Donald Trump and aimed at tilting the map in his party’s favor before next year’s midterm elections.
The nation’s two most populous – and ideologically opposed – states were racing on parallel tracks toward consequential redistricting votes, potentially within hours of each other. As Democrats in Sacramento advanced a legislative package that would put their “election rigging response act” before voters in a special election this fall, Republicans in Austin were nearing a final vote on their own gerrymandering pursuit.
Democratic state lawmakers erupted in applause, when the assembly passed the constitutional amendment to allow the redrawing in a 57-20 vote. On the other side of the capitol, the state senate passed a bill on a 30-9 party-line vote laying out the proposed congressional maps Democrats hope voters will accept in the November special election. The chambers debated the package simultaneously, with Democrats up against a Friday deadline to give the secretary of states’s office enough time to get the measure on the November ballot.
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