Deep blue California fired a challenge to the Republican control of the House in the 2026 elections by overwhelmingly approving Prop 50 on Tuesday.
With 71 percent of the votes counted, the proposition to redraw the state’s congressional district map to add five Democratic seats was leading 63.8 percent to 36.2 percent, according to The Washington Post.
President Donald Trump criticized the plan.
“The Unconstitutional Redistricting Vote in California is a GIANT SCAM in that the entire process, in particular the Voting itself, is RIGGED. All ‘Mail-In’ Ballots, where the Republicans in that State are ‘Shut Out,’ is under very serious legal and criminal review,” he posted on Truth Social.
Donald J. Trump Truth Social 11.04.25 11:26 AM EST
The Unconstitutional Redistricting Vote in California is a GIANT SCAM in that the entire process, in particular the Voting itself, is RIGGED. All “Mail-In” Ballots, where the Republicans in that State are “Shut Out,” is under…
— Commentary Donald J. Trump Posts From Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) November 4, 2025
Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, a likely 2028 Democratic presidential candidate, farmed the vote as a rebuff to Trump
“Donald Trump poked the bear. And the bear roared back,” he said after the vote, according to Fox News.
California just passed Prop 50 which takes House seats by redistricting.
It rejects the non-partisan commission drawing district lines.
But in this same vote, 92% of voters said a non-partisan commission should draw district lines.
Californians are dumb.pic.twitter.com/b32UcnlTAq
— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) November 5, 2025
Do you support the redistricting efforts in red states?
California is among several states that have rejiggered their congressional district boundaries to maximize the impact of one party or the other.
For example, Texas changed its district lines, which would add five likely Republican seats. However, that has been challenged, leaving a court to decide if the new plan will take effect, according to CBS.
ABC noted that other states have also changed boundaries, so that Republicans could gain one seat in North Carolina, one in Missouri, and two in Ohio.
Other states have considered new maps or are in the process of doing so, leaving the potential of additional Republican seats in Utah and Indiana and Democratic ones in Virginia.
Action remains possible to add GOP seats in Nebraska and Louisiana, while blue states including Maryland and Illinois, have not foreclosed the possibility of new district maps.
Florida Republicans have indicated they might pursue a plan to add three Republican seats, but they have not yet acted to do so, according to the Guardian.
The prize at stake is control of the House of Representatives, where Republicans have a 219-214 majority with three seats vacant.
Midterm elections are historically times when the party in power loses seats. Given the narrow GOP majority in the House, Democrats believe that control of the House is within reach, while Republicans are trying to counter that.
Republican Rep. Richard Hudson, chair of the rival National Republican Congressional Committee, said, “[N]o matter how Democrats redraw the lines to satisfy Gavin Newsom’s power grab, they can’t redraw their record of failure, and that’s why they will fail to take the House majority,” according to Fox News.
“Even under this new map, Republicans have clear opportunities to flip seats because Californians are fed up with Democrat chaos.”
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