California Democrats and Texas Republicans are becoming old fashioned standoffs threatening to redraw Congress maps to shake up the outcome of the 2026 midterm elections.
The ones caught up in the middle are a small number of California Republicans, from relative rookies to veteran veterans. They represent the state’s pockets, from the US-Mexico border to the remote forests on the northeast corner.
The Texas GOP has won five additional seats at President Trump’s request for Congressional Republicans who hold the US House of Representatives with a thin margin of razors. In response, Gov. GavinNewsom says California will be pushed back with a map that will increase the number of Democrats the state sends to Washington.
“Everyone is going to get sick of the idea that the US president says he’s entitled to five seats,” Newsom said at a press conference Thursday. “There’s nothing normal about that. Anyone who says it’s not surprising is normalizing it. That’s shocking.”
According to a draft map reviewed by the Times, California’s gerrymander plan behind closed doors will increase Democrat control in the Golden State and add five Congressional districts in favor of Democrats. If Democrats succeed, these changes could leave Republicans who will put four of the state’s 52 House seats down from the current 9 roster.
Districts in California are usually drawn once every ten years by an independent committee. Newsom is pushing for a new map tailored to support the Democrats on November 4th before voters.
Newsom says there is a “trigger” in California’s plan for change of districts. This means that a redrawn map will not be effective unless Texas moves forward on its own.
“We want to do that in the most transparent way,” Newsom said. “It’s a process that will unfold over the next few weeks. But I want to see the map of the polls. I want people to know that they’re voting.
The proposed boundaries for the new Congressional district continue to shift, but the goals for California Democrats remain the same. It will focus state Republican voters on fewer seats, increase vulnerable Democrats and turn GOP-controlled districts into narrowly divided toss-ups.
This is a Republican who could face major changes.
Rep. Kevin Killie (R. Rocklin)
Kylie represents a vast district that runs along the Nevada border from Northern California to Death Valley, blocking out the cities of Mammoth and Lake Tahoe, Roseville, Rocklin and Folsom.
Republicans have a voter registration advantage of 6% points in Killie’s district. The district’s footprint could be reduced to approach Sacramento, adding registered Democrats and reducing conservative and rural areas.
Kiley introduced a bill this week that would be applicable to both Texas and California, overturning the newly drawn congressional boundaries adopted by the state prior to the next US census in 2030. He said the bill would “stop the war from breaking into the country.”
Newsom said it was “trying to destroy the will of voters and enduring damage to California’s democracy.”
Rep. Doug Lamalfa (R-Richvale)
Ramalfa represents a safe Republican district that passes through the vast territory of Northern California, bordering Oregon and Nevada. The district includes Chico, Reading and Yuba cities.
In an interview, Ramalfa said he saw one map of moving the district south to include parts of Sonoma County’s wine country, and moving conservative rural areas to the north in another legislator’s district. These changes will place the town near the Oregon border and Marine County just north of Golden Gate Bridge in the same district.
“Democrats are really crossing the boundaries about this,” Ramalfa said. “I hope that the weight of how bad this looks will collapse into them before we have to go through these spins.
He said he is confident that Republicans will sue the new map if Democrats move forward. He said other groups, including the Common Cause and the Federation of Women’s Voters, have also expressed concern.
“I’m not stressed either,” said Ramalfa, a fourth-generation rice farmer. “If they throw me into a country or coastal area of wine, or it dumps me, they can cut off this tree that fell on my fence last night.”
Rep. David Valadao (R-Hanford)
The proposed plan could add Democrats registered in the main Latin districts of the Central Valley.
For years, Democrats have tried to separate Baradao, who represents districts with strong Democratic voter registration advantages on paper, but voter turnout among blue voters has been inactive.
Even before Ladies’ Dust-Up, Baradao was once again the Democrat’s top target. Valadao represents the California district, which has the highest percentage of Medicaid recipients, many of which have been approved by Republican-led Congress and could lose compensation due to laws signed by Trump. After voting to abolish the Affordable Care Act in 2017, Baradao previously lost his parliamentary seat in 2018.
Valadao representatives did not respond to requests for comment.
Senators Ken Calvert (R-Corona) and Young Kim (R-Anaheim Hills)
The plan under consideration could force two Republicans in the House into the same district: Kim and Calvert.
Calvert was first elected to Congress in 1992 and is the longest serving member of California’s Republican delegation. He represents the Riverside County district, including Lake Elsinore, Menifee, Palm Springs and the home of Corona. The Republican district has failed, the best targeted Democrats in the last two elections.
Kim, who was first elected to Congress in 2020, represents the Republican district, primarily in Orange County. This includes Mission Viejo, Orange, Lake Forest, Anaheim and Tustin.
Calvert strongly opposed the “scheme organized behind closed doors by Sacramento politicians,” and to replace the map depicted as “a process in which legislators can map districts that are gerrymandered to benefit themselves and their political allies.”
Kim said in a statement that “dismantles voters’ rights and degrades trust in the political system,” which deviates from the independent constituency change process. She said, “Instead of positioning yourself in the presidential run, focus on dealing with urgent issues once, in order for Californians to make life difficult under his watch.”
This week’s Newsom said he was happy to see Republicans appearing in support of independent constituencies.
“That’s an encouraging sign,” Newsom said. “Perhaps people are awakened to the reality of California. We are not in a small state. Again, we are above weight.
Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Bonsall)
Under the interim plan, Issa, who has been in Congress for over 20 years, will see his safety in his Republican district turn purple. That includes absorption of Palm Springs, a liberal region currently in the Calvert district and has become a hub for Democrat fundraising and political activities.
An Issa spokesman declined to comment, but mentioned a statement from the state’s nine Republican delegation. This said Trump won 38% of the presidential vote in California last year, but Republicans have less than one in five of the state’s 52 House seats.
The delegation said Newsom was trying to take power from the independent constituency commission and “get back to Sacramento’s politicians and promote the left-wing political agenda.”
“Partist political gerrymandering is not what California voters want,” the statement said.
Times staff writer Taryn Luna contributed to this report.
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