California Governor Gavin Newsom is encountering strong resistance from voters after unveiling a controversial proposal to rewrite the state constitution in order to create new congressional maps that would drastically reduce Republican representation.

Framed as a direct response to GOP-led redistricting in Texas, Newsom’s plan would leave California Republicans with just four of the state’s 52 congressional districts, even though more than 40 percent of California voters supported Republican candidates in the 2024 elections.

A new poll indicates that the governor’s initiative is overwhelmingly unpopular, signaling serious political trouble ahead as Democrats push forward with a constitutional amendment and special election to authorize the changes.

Earlier this week, Newsom announced that California would “retaliate” against Texas after Republicans there advanced maps that would carve out five Democratic-leaning districts and hand them to Republicans.

Texas leaders defended their maps by pointing to California, where Republicans currently hold just 17 percent of congressional seats despite receiving more than 40 percent of the vote.

Texas’ proposed changes would give Democrats control of 21 percent of House seats while winning 42 percent of the vote in 2024. Newsom’s plan would push California even further in the opposite direction, reducing GOP seats to just four and leaving Democrats with nearly total dominance of the delegation.

“If Texas Republicans want to rig elections to entrench themselves in power, California is not going to sit idly by,” Newsom said when unveiling his proposal. “We will not let one-party states undermine our democracy while pretending their maps are fair.”

Because California voters twice approved the use of an independent redistricting commission in statewide ballot initiatives, Newsom cannot simply push the Legislature to redraw the lines.

His plan requires a constitutional amendment that would temporarily strip the commission of its power and allow the Legislature to impose its own maps for the 2026, 2028, and 2030 election cycles.

If passed, the independent panel would resume its duties after the 2030 census. Supporters of the plan argue that California must counterbalance Texas, where Republicans control the redistricting process.

Critics see the move as blatant gerrymandering that undermines voter-approved reforms meant to take politics out of redistricting.

Despite Newsom’s rhetoric, a new poll suggests California voters are not persuaded. Conducted by the Citrin Center and Possibility Lab at UC Berkeley in partnership with Politico, the survey of 1,445 registered voters found that 64 percent favor keeping the current independent system, while just 36 percent support Newsom’s proposed changes.

That means Newsom’s plan is underwater by a margin of 28 points — a striking rejection in a state where Democrats dominate political life.

Jack Citrin, a veteran political science professor at UC Berkeley who helped conduct the poll, said the results reflect voter mistrust of politicians and the Legislature.

“California has voted twice for this independent review commission not all that long ago,” Citrin said. “And there’s a lot of mistrust and cynicism about politicians. That’s reflected here as well.”

Perhaps the most surprising finding in the poll was the broad bipartisan support for the current system. Independent voters overwhelmingly rejected Newsom’s plan, with 72 percent saying they oppose altering the commission’s role.

Support among Democrats and Republicans was also strong, despite the partisan stakes. Two-thirds of Democrats and 61 percent of Republicans backed the current commission structure.

Citrin admitted the numbers surprised him. “Given that this is being pushed so heavily by Newsom and by the Democratic Party nationally that we have to combat Texas, I expected more Democratic support,” he said.

The data suggest that Californians, regardless of party affiliation, value the independence of the commission and view the governor’s plan as a cynical political power grab.

California’s independent redistricting commission was created by voters through ballot initiatives in 2008 and 2010. Its purpose was to end partisan gerrymandering by taking the map-drawing process away from politicians and giving it to a panel of independent citizens selected through a rigorous application process.

The commission has drawn two sets of maps since its creation, in 2011 and 2021, and is widely credited with producing competitive districts that reflect the state’s demographics.

While Republicans argue that the results still favor Democrats because of California’s overall liberal tilt, the commission remains popular among voters who see it as more legitimate than legislative-drawn maps.

By proposing to sideline the commission, Newsom is directly challenging reforms that Californians approved at the ballot box. That fact may explain why his proposal faces such stiff headwinds.

California Democrats insist that they have no intention of permanently abolishing the independent commission. Instead, they argue that temporarily reclaiming map-drawing authority is necessary to respond to what they describe as unfair and undemocratic maps in Texas and other Republican-led states.

“This is about fairness,” one Democratic strategist said. “If Republicans in Texas and Florida are going to gerrymander their states to reduce Democratic representation, we can’t let California remain the only state playing by neutral rules.”

Supporters of Newsom’s plan argue that Democrats must fight fire with fire or risk losing control of the House of Representatives for a generation. With control of Congress often hinging on just a handful of seats, the stakes could not be higher.

Republicans in California have blasted the proposal as a blatant attempt to rig the system. With only 17 percent of congressional seats already, GOP leaders say the plan would effectively erase their presence in the delegation and disenfranchise millions of Republican voters.

“This is hypocrisy at its finest,” one Republican assemblyman said. “Democrats lecture us about democracy, but when they don’t like the outcome, they try to rewrite the rules.”

The California GOP has vowed to challenge the plan in court if it passes, arguing that it violates voter-approved initiatives protecting the commission.

The fight over California’s maps is not just a state issue — it has major national implications. Control of the U.S. House of Representatives often comes down to fewer than 10 seats, meaning even small changes in California and Texas could determine which party holds the majority.

By proposing to eliminate nearly all Republican districts in California, Newsom’s plan could hand Democrats a built-in advantage in the battle for Congress. Republicans see the move as part of a larger national strategy to cement Democratic power through gerrymandering in blue states while decrying it in red ones.

The contrast between California and Texas has become a political talking point for both sides. Democrats argue that Republican gerrymanders in Texas justify retaliation, while Republicans argue that California’s independent commission should be the model for other states, not abandoned for partisan gain.

Even if Newsom pushes his plan through the Legislature, he still faces a steep uphill battle with voters. Because the proposal involves amending the state constitution, it requires approval in a statewide special election scheduled for November.

Given the poll numbers, the odds of success appear slim. Unless Newsom can shift public opinion dramatically in the coming months, his proposal may be dead on arrival at the ballot box.

Still, Democrats believe that framing the issue as a fight against Republican gerrymandering nationally could energize their base. By positioning California as a counterweight to Texas, they hope to appeal to voters who want to see Democrats stand up aggressively to GOP tactics.

The battle in California is part of a wider national war over redistricting. Across the country, both parties have accused the other of manipulating district lines to entrench power.

While Democrats tend to push for independent commissions, they have not been immune from drawing favorable maps where they control legislatures, such as in Illinois and New York.

Republicans, meanwhile, have embraced aggressive gerrymanders in states like Texas, Florida, and Ohio. The result is a patchwork of systems across the country, with some states relying on commissions and others leaving maps in the hands of politicians.

Newsom’s proposal would mark one of the most dramatic reversals in recent memory, with a state that pioneered independent redistricting turning back to partisan control.

Governor Gavin Newsom’s proposal to dismantle California’s independent redistricting system in favor of partisan maps has ignited a fierce backlash among voters.

Polling shows overwhelming opposition, with majorities of Democrats, Republicans, and independents all preferring to keep the current commission in place.

Newsom and his allies argue that retaliation against Texas is necessary to preserve fairness in national politics. But critics say the plan undermines California’s own democratic reforms and amounts to the very gerrymandering Democrats claim to oppose.

As the fight heads toward a special election in November, the governor faces a daunting challenge. With voters skeptical and bipartisan support for the commission strong, the chances of success appear slim.

Still, the debate highlights the central role redistricting plays in American politics — a battle not just over lines on a map, but over the balance of power in Congress and the future of democracy itself.