California voters approved Democratic Proposition 50 on Tuesday, a measure that is a response to the Republican-led redistricting in Texas.
After the victory, Gavin Newsom proclaims – referring to California's "symbolic animal" – that "the bear is back."
With the move, the governor – who announced in October that he is considering a run for president in 2028 – has raised the stakes and strengthened his cards against Republicans. Newsom now has a tangible victory to point to, Democratic political strategist Celinda Lake told the AP.
Democrats think someone is finally standing up and being creative, thinking outside the box and fighting back. That gives him a very strong profile, she says.
"Rigging" the mid-term elections
Newsom is one of Trump's most outspoken critics. The 58-year-old has challenged the president over the administration's decision to send the National Guard to cities in California and Oregon. He has also sharply criticized the immigration agency ICE's expanded powers under the Trump administration - and accused Trump of "rigging" the 2026 midterm elections by changing the Texas electoral map.
Texas voted in August to redraw the state's congressional districts, aiming to secure at least five congressional seats for President Trump's party. Shortly after, California vowed to counter with a similar maneuver to benefit Democrats.
The California state congress had already given the bill the green light and Newsom had signed it, but residents' approval was also required to put the new map into place.
“The future of democracy”
Ahead of Tuesday's vote, the governor presented the issue as almost existential for the future of democracy in the United States.
Whether California's now-passed measure will tip the balance of power in Washington, DC, is unclear, however, as additional Republican-led states are about to redraw their electoral districts after pressure from Trump.
The redrawing of electoral maps to favor a specific party is a controversial phenomenon known as gerrymandering. Usually, electoral districts are reviewed by a non-political commission in conjunction with the censuses held every ten years.
