California Gov. Gavin Newsom faces a significant challenge in his bid to reshape the state’s congressional districts: strong public support for the existing independent redistricting commission.
A new POLITICO–Citrin Center–Possibility Lab poll found that nearly two-thirds of voters favor keeping the independent panel that draws the state’s House seats, while only 36% support giving redistricting authority back to state lawmakers.
“It’s not surprising, in the sense that California has voted twice for this independent review commission not all that long ago,” said Jack Citrin, a veteran political science professor at UC Berkeley and partner on the poll. “And there’s a lot of mistrust and cynicism about politicians and the Legislature. That’s reflected here as well.”
California Democrats are moving forward with a high-stakes bid to redraw the state’s congressional districts in response to a proposed gerrymander by Texas Republicans backed by President Donald Trump. State officials are expected to release new maps by the end of the week that could give Democrats five additional seats, offsetting the impact of the Texas plan, noted POLITICO.
Newsom, who will formally launch the campaign on Thursday, has portrayed himself as both reluctant and ready to join what he calls an escalating redistricting battle. He and other Democrats insist that Texas Republicans initiated the fight and have pledged that any California redistricting changes would only be “triggered” if Texas moves forward. Texas Democrats have left the state to block a vote on the GOP-favored maps, while Gov. Greg Abbott has vowed to keep calling special sessions until they return.
Democrats in California say they do not intend to permanently dismantle the state’s independent redistricting commission. Instead, they plan to ask voters to approve a constitutional amendment allowing legislative-approved maps to be used for the 2026, 2028, and 2030 election cycles. Under the proposal, the independent commission would resume its duties as the state’s map-drawer following the 2030 census.
The POLITICO–Citrin Center–Possibility Lab survey highlights why Democrats are avoiding a full elimination of the commission. Independent redistricting remains broadly popular, with 64% overall support and backing across party lines.
