Democrats who lead the California legislature on Friday unveiled a map proposing new boundaries for U.S. House districts that would substantially change five Republican-held seats, making them more likely to be won by Democrats next year.
The gerrymandered map, drawn by Democratic lawmakers expressly to help their party flip seats, is an attempt to offset the gains Republicans hope to make with maps Texas lawmakers have drafted at the request of President Trump.
The proposed California map is the latest development in an extraordinary race to change congressional districts ahead of the midterm elections. That race, which began in Texas, is now spreading across the country: Indiana, Missouri and Ohio may consider changing their district boundaries to gain Republican seats; New York and Illinois have discussed altering maps to benefit Democrats, though changes in those states face greater hurdles. The ultimate goal for each party is to control the House during the second half of Mr. Trump’s term.
Typically, states draw new congressional maps at the start of each decade following the census to adjust for population changes. But Mr. Trump’s request that Texas create five new Republican seats to help the party maintain its slim majority has upended the normal redistricting procedure there and in California. Gov. Gavin Newsom of California vowed to respond with a maneuver giving Democrats a greater advantage, and the map unveiled Friday shows that he has succeeded in garnering support from key lawmakers in his party.
The map California released on Friday is not yet official and remains a proposal. First, it will be considered by state lawmakers next week. If two-thirds approve, the map will go before voters in a special election on Nov. 4. The ballot measure would ask California voters if they approve using the redrawn map for congressional elections in 2026, 2028 and 2030. After that, California would return to using maps drawn by the state’s independent redistricting commission, which is supposed to create district boundaries without considering their partisan effects.
The map unveiled Friday would turn three Republican-held seats into safe Democratic seats, and turn two others into seats that lean Democratic, according to a chart that Democratic lawmakers have reviewed as part of the plan.
In Northern California, the map would substantially change the districts held by two Republicans, Representatives Kevin Kiley and Doug LaMalfa. In Southern California, it would move the boundaries for two other Republicans, Representatives Darrell Issa and Ken Calvert. And in the Central Valley, it would add more Democrats to the district held by another Republican, Representative David Valadao. If all five targeted seats flipped, the number of California Republicans in the House would drop to four from nine, while the number of California Democrats would increase 48 from 43.
Mr. Kiley, Mr. LaMalfa and Mr. Calvert would see the largest swings in party registration, with all three becoming safe Democratic districts under the proposed map.
Mr. Kiley’s district, which runs from the Sacramento suburbs to Lake Tahoe, and south along the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, would be redrawn to incorporate more Democratic voters in Sacramento. Mr. LaMalfa’s rural inland district, which stretches north from Chico to the Oregon border, would swoop west toward Wine Country to incorporate Democratic voters in Santa Rosa.
And Mr. Calvert’s district, which runs from Corona to Palm Springs, would essentially be split up and incorporated into neighboring districts in order to create a new, heavily Democratic district in Los Angeles County.
California has had several close House races in recent elections. A handful of seats that have flipped back and forth between parties have created nail-biting races decided by a few hundred votes. The proposed map will help Democrats by shoring up those swing districts with more Democratic voters and shifting some Republican voters into nearby districts that already have Republican representatives.
One beneficiary may be Representative Young Kim, a Republican of Orange County. The new map loads her district with more Republican voters in order to make it easier for two Democratic lawmakers, Representatives Dave Min and Derek Tran, to win re-election in nearby districts. It also could put Ms. Kim in a primary face-off against Mr. Calvert, because a chunk of his current district will be merged with hers.