Overview

• Governor Gavin Newsom has signaled that special legislative sessions, ballot initiatives or direct map redraws are on the table to target five to seven GOP-held districts.
• California’s independent Citizens Redistricting Commission, created by Proposition 20 in 2010, currently controls congressional boundaries and cannot be overridden without voter approval.
• Legal analysts warn that the Voting Rights Act may block efforts to alter majority-Latino districts, presenting a major obstacle to mid-decade changes.
• House Democrats, including Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Reps. Mark Takano and Sara Jacobs, have convened strategy sessions to coordinate the redistricting effort and reclaim committee chairmanships.
• The move is a direct counter to Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s special session directive on mid-decade redistricting, igniting an interstate contest over congressional map drawing.