California Governor Gavin Newsom on 14 Aug. launched a campaign to replace the state’s voter-created Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission with a legislature-drawn congressional map that could flip as many as five Republican seats to Democrats in the 2026 midterm elections. The proposal cleared its first legislative hurdle and will go before voters in a special statewide referendum on 4 Nov., if—as expected—Democratic supermajorities in both chambers place the measure on the ballot this week. Under the plan, state lawmakers could redraw congressional districts in 2026, 2028 and 2030, after which authority would return to the commission. Newsom argues the temporary change is needed to counter a simultaneous push by Texas Republicans, encouraged by former President Donald Trump, to secure up to five additional GOP seats through a mid-decade remap. Opposition has been swift. The National Republican Congressional Committee called the effort an “illegal power grab” and said it will sue if the measure passes. Former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who championed the independent commission in 2008-10, vowed to “terminate gerrymandering” and preserve his reform legacy. Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy likewise denounced the plan, saying it bypasses public input. Public opinion so far tilts against Newsom: surveys released over the weekend show 64 % of voters favor leaving map-drawing with the commission, while 36 % support handing the task to lawmakers. Even so, Democratic strategists say the initiative could energize the party’s base and blunt expected Republican gains in Texas, underscoring how the country’s two most populous states are turning an off-cycle redistricting fight into a national contest for control of the U.S. House.