California voters want to keep the state’s independent redistricting commission in place, even as Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) pushes to redraw the maps by giving redistricting power to California‘s Democratic legislators, a new poll revealed.

Newsom wants to redraw the state’s lines in a way that favors Democrats to combat President Donald Trump’s push for Texas lawmakers to do the same in a way that favors Republicans.

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A POLITICO-Citrin Center-Possibility Lab survey found that 36% of registered voters in California support returning congressional redistricting authority to state lawmakers. Sixty-four percent of voters in the state want to keep the commission.

Broken down further, 66% of Republicans, 61% of Democrats, and 72% of independents want to keep the commission. Just 28% of independents want to pass the authority to state legislators.

When “policy influencers,” a group of POLITICO Pro subscribers the outlet says are “deeply versed in the state’s political landscape,” were asked, they broke toward their partisan leanings. Ninety-one percent of Republican policy influencers would like to keep the commission, while a small majority, 51%, of Democrats want to toss the authority to the state legislature.

“That surprised me a little bit, given that this is being pushed so heavily by Newsom and by the Democratic Party nationally that we have to combat Texas,” Jack Citrin, a veteran political science professor at UC Berkeley and partner on the poll, told the outlet.

The poll was conducted from July 28 to August 12 using a sample of 1,445 registered voters. 512 policy influencers were interviewed.

Newsom is launching his redistricting effort on Thursday after the Trump administration refused to back down on its efforts to redraw congressional maps. Citrin said the poll results are unsurprising, given that voters have cast their ballots for an independent commission in the past.

“It’s not surprising, in the sense that 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 and the Legislature. That’s reflected here as well.”

The California Democrat has been reluctant to move forward with his personal redistricting effort, which plans to ask voters in a November special election whether they want Democrat-favored maps. The governor has waited for Texas before making his decision, though the state is currently trying to wrangle back its Democrats to vote on the maps.

Newsom doesn’t want to do away with the commission, but wants to stow it for now. Newsom hopes to approve a constitutional amendment that would put new maps approved by the legislature in effect for the 2026, 2028, and 2030 election cycles.

Newsom previously said he believes voters will be receptive to his effort.

“I think the voters will approve it. I think the voters understand what’s at stake,” Newsom said in a news conference last Friday. “We live in the most un-Trump state in America.”

The governor’s personal polling recently showed a slight majority of voters agree with the effort, with support growing if presented in a more partisan way.

DRAFT OF CALIFORNIA’S NEW CONGRESSIONAL MAP COULD BE UNVEILED AS EARLY AS FRIDAY

But the poll could represent a roadblock for Newsom’s redistricting efforts, which aim to save the Democratic Party’s chances of retaking the House. The new maps are expected to be unveiled by Friday.

“If this is the starting point, then they will have a struggle,” Citrin said.