AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — California has landed its counterpunch. The national tug-of-war over redistricting and voters in the 2026 midterm elections shifts once again back to Texas, where it all started.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom used his Democratic supermajority to push a new congressional map that favors Democrats in an effort to nullify the expected new map from Texas.

LOS ANGELES, Aug 21 (Reuters) - The California legislature approved on Thursday a redistricting plan aimed at giving Democrats five more seats in the U.S. Congress, countering a partisan advantage President Donald Trump sought from a Republican move to redraw political maps in Texas.

Democrats are searching for a leader to take on President Trump. Gov. Gavin Newsom embraced that role with new online trolling and a proposed gerrymander to counter a GOP power play in Texas.

Gov. Gavin Newsom and Democratic state lawmakers moved quickly to create new districts that could help their party flip five congressional seats. Their plan still requires voter approval.

The Orange County lawmaker, who also condoned Texas’s gerrymandering effort, urged lawmakers to support legislation introduced by Rep. Kevin Kiley, of Northern California, to ban mid-decade redistricting in every state, saying that would be more constructive than California Democrats’ current efforts.

Changes to California’s redistricting process would allow lawmakers to redraw congressional districts in ways that would heavily favor Democrats, regardless of redistricting efforts in Texas or other GOP-led states,

California Republicans pressed Democrats over the transparency and cost of the proposed redistricting measure.

Democrats unveiled a proposal Friday that could give California's dominant political party an additional five U.S. House seats in a bid to win the fight to control Congress next year.

California passes bills to let voters redraw U.S. House maps in 2026, countering Texas’ planned redistricting to boost GOP seats. (Scripps News)