In a recent development, Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom's initiative to redraw California's congressional lines has been met with significant opposition.
A fresh poll reveals that a substantial majority of California voters, including 61 percent of Democrats, are in favor of retaining the state's independent map-drawing commission. This sentiment stands in stark contrast to Newsom's push for gerrymandering.
According to a Politico-Citrin Center-Possibility Lab poll, 64 percent of California voters are advocating for the preservation of the Citizens Redistricting Commission. This independent body was established in 2008 to oversee the determination of the state's congressional maps.
A mere 36 percent of voters expressed support for "returning congressional redistricting authority to state legislators."
The poll, released on Thursday, demonstrated widespread bipartisan support for the independent commission. Republicans and Democrats showed 66 percent and 61 percent approval rates respectively, while independent voters displayed even stronger support, with 72 percent endorsing the panel's control over redistricting.
In the wake of the poll's release, Newsom and other leading California Democrats convened at a rally to introduce the "Election Rigging Response Act." This proposed ballot measure would empower the Democrat-dominated legislature to sidestep the commission and redraw the congressional boundaries of the Golden State to favor their party.
As reported by Politico, the rally clearly signaled the Democrats' unified support for a gerrymandering push in the blue state. This move could potentially result in an ethical dilemma for Newsom, who is suspected of using state resources to organize the rally, as indicated by a livestream of the event aired through Newsom's official government channels. State legislator Katie Sanchez, a Republican, lodged a complaint against Newsom with California's Fair Political Practices Commission, accusing him of "using YOUR tax dollars to fund his ballot campaign."
The campaign for the ballot measure is financially backed by the House Democrats' primary super PAC and Democratic megadonor Bill Bloomfield, as disclosed by a campaign website that also encourages visitors to subscribe to Newsom's fundraising texts. The campaign's logo strikingly resembles a logo previously used by Newsom for a federal PAC he initiated to propose a constitutional gun control amendment.
Newsom has portrayed his gerrymandering endeavor as a countermeasure to Texas Republicans' plans to redraw their state's districts, a move that could potentially bolster the GOP's House majority in the run-up to the 2026 midterms. The governor stated that the ballot measure in California would only be "triggered" if Texas approves its redistricting plan, as reported by the Los Angeles Times.
However, unlike Texaswhere the Legislature has the freedom to amend district lines at any time without restrictionsCalifornia and several other Democratic-led states have structural limitations on the timing and manner of redistricting. For instance, California's laws necessitate a ballot measure to alter the redistricting method. In New York, the earliest possible redrawing of lines would be in 2028, as reported by the New York Times.
Jack Citrin, a political science professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and collaborator on the Thursday poll, expressed to Politico that the poll results were not surprising. He said, "California has voted twice for this independent review commission not all that long ago. And there's a lot of mistrust and cynicism about politicians and the Legislature. That's reflected here as well."
Citrin cautioned that the poll results could spell trouble for California Democrats, stating, "If this is the starting point, then they will have a struggle." This situation underscores the ongoing tension between the push for partisan advantage and the desire for fair representation, a conflict that is likely to intensify as the 2026 midterms approach.
Login