California’s Supreme Court has refused to block Gov. Gavin Newsom’s mid-decade congressional redistricting proposal, dismissing a Republican petition that argued the Democratic-led Legislature bypassed required notice rules. The terse order removes the last procedural hurdle for lawmakers to approve the package ahead of a Friday deadline. The three-bill plan would override the state’s independent Citizens Redistricting Commission and submit new congressional maps to voters in a Nov. 4 special election. If approved, the boundaries could give Democrats as many as five additional seats in the 2026 midterms and remain in force through the 2030 census cycle. Newsom and legislative leaders say the move counters a parallel effort in Texas, where Republicans—encouraged by President Donald Trump—are advancing maps that analysts estimate could yield five new GOP seats. The escalation has prompted warnings of a wider partisan “arms race” as Florida, Missouri and other states weigh similar mid-cycle redraws. California public opinion is mixed. A UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies survey released Aug. 17 found 48% of registered voters—and 55% of likely voters—back the temporary gerrymandering measure, while 32% and 34%, respectively, oppose it. Yet 63% of respondents also say partisan gerrymandering is “never acceptable,” underscoring voter ambivalence. Republican plaintiffs vowed to keep fighting in court and at the ballot box, and good-government groups warn that overturning the voter-created independent commission could erode trust. Democratic supermajorities, however, are expected to give final legislative approval within days, setting up a high-stakes November referendum that could reshape the balance of power in the next Congress.