California Governor Gavin Newsom at the Georgia TechÕs McCamish Pavilion prior to the CNN Presidential Debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump held at CNN's studios in Atlanta. CNN Anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash are moderators of the debate.
Sacramento, California – California Governor Gavin Newsom is facing a political setback as his high-profile fight over redistricting collides with public opinion. A new poll shows a clear majority of Californians want to preserve the state’s independent redistricting commission, casting doubt on Newsom’s push for a temporary mid-decade redraw.
The survey, conducted by Politico and the Citrin Center for Public Opinion Research, found that 64 percent of voters favor keeping the commission in place, while just 36 percent support returning map-drawing authority to the legislature. The numbers hold across party lines, with 61 percent of Democrats, 66 percent of Republicans, and 72 percent of independents siding with the commission. The poll of 1,445 registered voters was conducted between July 28 and August 12.
Newsom’s office bristled at the findings, posting on X, formerly Twitter, that the poll was misleading because it tested a proposal he insists he is not pursuing. “You mean the poll that tested what we are NOT doing (getting rid of the commission!)??” the post read. A spokesperson for the governor reiterated that stance Thursday, underscoring that the plan would leave the commission in place long-term.
At a press conference, Newsom argued that the temporary measure is necessary to counter what he called a Republican “arms race” in states like Texas, where GOP lawmakers—with the support of President Donald Trump—are pushing through aggressive redraws to eliminate Democratic seats. Texas could erase up to five Democratic districts ahead of the 2026 midterms, and Republicans in Florida and Missouri are eyeing similar moves.
Newsom stressed that California’s commission would resume full control of redistricting in the next cycle, beginning in 2030. “We anticipate these maps will completely neuter and neutralize what is happening in Texas,” he said, while adding that the measure would not move forward unless other states followed suit.
The stakes are high. Republicans currently hold a narrow 219–212 majority in the House of Representatives, and both parties see redistricting as a decisive factor in shaping control after 2026. Democrats have pinned their hopes on Trump’s approval ratings slipping further, but Republican success in states like Texas could blunt those gains before votes are cast.
The clash reflects a deeper tension in California politics. Voters twice approved the independent redistricting system, and pollster Jack Citrin told Politico it’s not surprising they remain attached to it. Still, Newsom and state Democrats are preparing to unveil proposed maps as early as next week, alongside a constitutional amendment that would make any legislature-drawn maps explicitly temporary.
Republicans, for their part, are already framing Newsom’s plan as a “sham.” Representative Kevin Kiley wrote on X that the governor is trying to mask an attempt at gerrymandering with slick language. But for Newsom, the broader message is that California must play hardball if it hopes to keep pace with Republican mapmaking elsewhere.
