Overview

• Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that California will hold a Nov. 4 special election to seek voter approval to override its independent commission and redraw congressional districts with the goal of flipping about five GOP-held seats.
• Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, following President Trump’s urging, is expected to adjourn the current special session and immediately call a second session to push through Republican-crafted maps designed to add up to five GOP-friendly districts.
• Texas House Democrats, who fled the state to block the original redistricting vote, have signaled they will return once California releases its plan and the Texas legislature adjourns, and they are preparing legal challenges.
• Both sides are gearing up for court battles and political campaigns, with Republican threats of fines, seat-vacating petitions and civil arrest warrants countered by anticipated lawsuits and opposition efforts from figures like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Charles Munger Jr.
• Lawmakers in multiple states, including Florida, Missouri, New York, Illinois and Maryland, are considering similar off-cycle remaps, turning redistricting into a nationwide partisan contest over control of the U.S. House.