A recent poll indicates that voters in California wish to maintain the state’s independent redistricting commission, despite Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) advocating for the transfer of that authority to the Democratic-controlled legislature.
Newsom intends to modify California’s political maps to favor Democrats, in response to President Donald Trump’s initiative encouraging Texas lawmakers to undertake similar actions for Republicans.
A survey conducted by POLITICO–Citrin Center–Possibility Lab revealed that merely 36% of registered voters in California endorse returning congressional redistricting power to state lawmakers, whereas 64% prefer to retain the independent commission.
When analyzed by party affiliation, 66% of Republicans, 61% of Democrats, and 72% of independents support the continuation of the commission. Only 28% of independents are in favor of transferring authority to the legislature, as reported by the Washington Examiner, referencing the survey.
In a survey of policy influencers — characterized by POLITICO Pro subscribers as “well-versed in the state’s political landscape” — the responses predominantly reflected partisan inclinations. Ninety-one percent of Republican policy influencers endorsed the retention of the commission, while a slim majority of Democratic influencers, at 51%, supported granting authority to the legislature.
“This surprised me somewhat, considering the strong push from Newsom and the national Democratic Party to counter Texas,” remarked Jack Citrin, a seasoned political science professor at UC Berkeley and collaborator on the poll, in an interview with POLITICO.
Newsom is scheduled to initiate his redistricting campaign on Thursday, following the Trump administration’s refusal to ease its own efforts to motivate GOP-led states to revise their congressional maps. Citrin observed that the poll findings were not unexpected, as voters have historically favored the establishment of an independent commission at the polls.
“It is not unexpected, considering that California has recently voted twice in favor of this independent review commission,” Citrin remarked. “There exists considerable mistrust and skepticism towards politicians and the Legislature, which is also evident in this situation.”
The governor of California has thus far shown reluctance to move forward with his redistricting proposal, which aims to present a question to voters in a special election this November regarding the adoption of maps that would benefit Democrats. He has been awaiting developments in Texas before taking further action, as that state continues to work on bringing its Democratic lawmakers back to vote on its own redistricting maps, as noted by the Examiner.
Newsom does not intend to completely abolish the commission; rather, he seeks to temporarily suspend its activities. His goal is to enact a constitutional amendment that would permit the use of maps approved by the legislature for the election cycles of 2026, 2028, and 2030.
The governor has previously conveyed his belief that voters will be open to his proposal.
“I am confident that the voters will endorse it. I believe they comprehend the significance of the matter at hand,” Newsom stated during a news conference last Friday. “We reside in the most un-Trump state in America.”
Recent internal polling conducted by the governor’s office has shown that a slight majority of voters support his initiative, with backing increasing when the proposal is presented in more partisan terms. Nevertheless, the most recent survey may present a challenge for Newsom’s redistricting efforts, which are designed to enhance Democratic prospects of regaining control of the House. The new maps are anticipated to be unveiled by Friday.
Citrin commented: “If this serves as the initial point, then they will face a challenge.”
In a related development, an Illinois judge has denied the request from state authorities to prosecute Texas House Democrats who fled to Illinois to break quorum in an effort to obstruct a redistricting initiative that could potentially grant Republicans an additional five seats in the U.S. House.
On Wednesday, Judge Scott Larson of the Eighth Circuit Court of Illinois rejected Texas’ request to prolong a civil arrest warrant that was issued on August 8 for Democrats who had fled there, asserting that his court did not have jurisdiction.
Larson determined that Paxton and Burrows had “failed to provide a legal foundation for the court” and indicated that he could not direct Illinois law enforcement to execute civil warrants placed on “nonresidents temporarily present in the State of Illinois.”