California Democrats may have successfully muscled a new congressional map through the state legislature this week, but the redistricting fight in the Golden State is only just beginning.

The redistricting effort in California is in response to Texas, where Republican lawmakers are pushing new redistricting maps at Trump's request.

Gov. Gavin Newsom and Democratic state lawmakers moved quickly to create new districts that could help their party flip five congressional seats. Their plan still requires voter approval.

The vote marked a return volley by Democrats in a national redistricting war the day after Texas approved its new map.

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — California has landed its counterpunch. The national tug-of-war over redistricting and voters in the 2026 midterm elections shifts once again back to Texas, where it all started.

The swift passage was a decisive victory for Governor Gavin Newsom, widely seen as a possible 2028 White House contender whose national political stature has climbed as he led Democrats' charge against what they decried as an attempted power grab in the Republican-led state of Texas.

Overnight, California's governor signed into law *** plan for voters to decide whether to approve *** redrawn congressional map. It would give Democrats 5 more winnable seats in the US House next year.

California Democrats landed their counterpunch to Texas on Thursday, just a day after Texas Republicans advanced their redrawn map that had come at the urging of President Donald Trump with the aim of padding their House majority by five seats.

The Republican-controlled Texas state Senate passed the party’s new congressional maps late Friday, completing a legislative odyssey that included significant Democratic delays and sparked a nationwide scramble over redistricting in the process.

Golden State conservatives are as comfortable with Big Tech regulating AI as the federal government taking the reins, an exclusive poll shows.