California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) said over the weekend that the nationwide redistricting fight was the start of a “resurgence of energy” among Democrats.
“Just the energy that the delegation from Texas brought to the Democratic Party, to democracy as a whole, when they stood up and pushed back against Greg Abbott and Donald Trump’s overreach,” Newsom told CNN’s Jake Tapper on Sunday’s “State of the Union. “And I really think, in many ways, that was the beginning of this comeback, it’s the beginning of a resurgence of energy.”
On Tuesday, Proposition 50, which allows the state legislature to redraw California’s congressional maps until its independent commission retakes control in 2030, passed with over 64 percent support.
Newsom backed the measure after the GOP-controlled Texas Legislature redrew the Lone Star State’s congressional maps in August. Texas Democrats fled the state amid Republicans’ redistricting push, before returning roughly two weeks later.
President Trump has since called on other Republican-led states to redraw their maps ahead of the 2026 midterms. The Missouri and North Carolina legislatures did so in September, while in Ohio, Republicans and Democrats compromised on a map that could give the GOP an edge in two districts next November.
Other Democratic-led states, such as Maryland, are also joining the fight.
The redistricting push comes as Democrats won three key races in Tuesday’s elections. Abigail Spanberger and Mikie Sherrill won the Virginia and New Jersey gubernatorial races, respectively, while Zohran Mamdani was elected the next mayor of New York City.
Newsom, a potential 2028 presidential candidate, believes the results show Democrats have “momentum” on their side.
“What happened on Tuesday represents a new moment. Clarity, conviction, purpose, energy, on our toes, not on our heels,” the California Democrat added. “A resurgent Democratic Party, and it’s a party that understands what’s at stake for our democracy.”
