FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — A lot of talk with no congressional district maps to show.
Joined by more than a dozen other speakers, Gov. Gavin Newsom stood on stage in Los Angeles on Thursday afternoon, discussing his plan to redraw congressional voting districts.
Even with all the talk, we still don’t know what those proposed maps look like and who will be impacted.
We’re still waiting on the official map, but a potential map shows possible impacts to District 22 here in Central California, which Republican David Valadao won last year in one of the tightest races in the nation.
State lawmakers, along with leaders from Planned Parenthood and labor unions, attended to say this is about more than maps.
Newsom wants to move the Congressional district boundaries to help Democrats gain five more House Seats in 2026.
He said the maps will be released on Friday, and voters would need to approve them in a special election on November 4.
Before that can happen, the state assembly and senate must call for the election. They’re expected to do that next week.
That hasn’t stopped the governor from already launching a website in support of the effort, along with a campaign video.
The move comes in a direct response to efforts in Texas to gain five more Republican seats at the urging of President Donald Trump.
Democratic state lawmakers in Texas have so far blocked that effort by leaving the state.
Newsom said California’s new map would only take effect if Texas or other Republican-led states move forward with redistricting.
They would remain in place until 2030, when the mapmaking power would return to the redistricting commission approved by voters more than a decade ago.
