California lawmakers approved a redistricting plan aimed at increasing Democratic representation in the U.S. House of Representatives by up to five seats in the 2026 elections. The legislation, supported by Governor Gavin Newsom, was signed into law on August 21, 2025, and calls for a special election on November 4, 2025, in which California voters will decide whether to approve the new congressional map. This move is a direct response to a Republican-led redistricting plan in Texas, which seeks to expand the GOP's House majority by the same number of seats, a strategy backed by former President Donald Trump. The California plan temporarily suspends the state's independent redistricting commission to implement the Democrat-drawn maps, aiming to counteract the partisan advantage Republicans hope to gain from the Texas redistricting effort.