California Democrats hold hearings on new congressional map to counter Trump-backed redistricting
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Californians had their first chance Tuesday to tell lawmakers how they feel about a partisan plan to win Democrats more U.S. House seats by making a new political map in response to a Republican redistricting effort in Texas that President Donald Trump wants.
California Democrats said they are pushing back against Trump and his desire to reshape U.S. House maps to his advantage in an expanding fight over control of Congress ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The California Legislature is expected to approve a proposed congressional map and declare a Nov. 4 special election by Thursday to get required voter approval.
In Texas, state Rep. Nicole Collier stayed at the Capitol overnight and into Tuesday to protest a Republican requirement that she and some of her Democratic colleagues have around-the-clock law enforcement surveillance after they ended a two-week walkout that delayed a vote on the Trump-backed map.
State Department of Public Safety officers are shadowing the lawmakers to ensure they return to the Capitol and do not leave Texas again. To leave the House floor Monday, the Democrats had to sign what they called “permission slips” agreeing to the surveillance.
Texas' Republican-controlled House scheduled a vote for Wednesday on the new map.
California Democrats are expected to advance their proposal out of committees Tuesday and Wednesday. They have already received more than 13,000 public comments through an online portal, and the committee hearings offer the public a chance to provide feedback to lawmakers in person.
Dozens of residents from up and down the state, leaders of local Republican groups and the conservative California Family Council showed up to a hearing Tuesday to voice opposition to Democrats' plan.
Some said the process has been shrouded in secrecy because the map was drawn without meaningful public input. Others said they would rather lawmakers focus on addressing issues instead of trying to bypass a bipartisan redistricting process.
Public remarks may have little sway, though, as Democratic leaders are determined to rapidly advance the proposal. A Senate hearing Tuesday began with key Democratic political allies testifying in support. Jodi Hicks, CEO of Planned Parenthood California, said Democrats need to take back the U.S. House to protect women's freedoms.
“If we don’t fight back, federal attacks on reproductive health care will only get worse,” Hicks said.
Republican lawmakers said the plan would create mistrust among residents who already voted in 2010 to remove partisan influence from the mapmaking process. California voters gave that power to an independent commission, while Texas is among states where legislators draw maps.
“There are so many illegal and unethical elements in this attempt,” Republican state Sen. Steven Choi said.
Republicans are also mounting a campaign aimed at blocking the plan. Some lawmakers filed an emergency petition with the state Supreme Court arguing Democrats are violating the state constitution. They assert that lawmakers can’t vote this week because the constitution requires new legislation to have a 30-day wait for public review.
Democrats hold 43 out of California’s 52 U.S. House seats. The proposal would try to expand that advantage by targeting battleground districts in Northern California, San Diego and Orange counties, and the Central Valley. Some Democratic incumbents also get more left-leaning voters in their districts.
In Texas, Republican House Speaker Dustin Burrows promised swift action on the Legislature’s agenda after Democrats ended their two-week walkout on Monday.
Officers were posted outside Democrats’ Capitol offices, and suburban Dallas Rep. Mihaela Plesa said one followed her on her Monday evening drive back to her apartment in Austin after spending much of the day on a couch in her office. She said he went with her for a staff lunch and even down the hallway with her for restroom breaks.
“We were kind of laughing about it, to be honest, but this is really serious stuff,” Plesa said in a telephone interview. “This is a waste of taxpayer dollars and really performative theater.”
Collier, who represents a minority-majority district in the Fort Worth area, said she would not “sign away my dignity” and allow Republicans to “control my movements and monitor me.”
“I know these maps will harm my constituents,” she said in a statement. “I won’t just go along quietly with their intimidation or their discrimination.”
A message seeking comment was sent Tuesday to the Department of Public Safety.
Redistricting typically occurs once at the beginning of each decade after the census. But Trump is looking to use mid-decade redistricting to shore up Republicans’ narrow House majority and avoid a repeat of the midterms during his first presidency. After gaining House control in 2018, Democrats used their majority to stymie his agenda and twice impeach him.
Nationally, the partisan makeup of existing district lines puts Democrats within three seats of a majority. Of the 435 total House seats, several dozen districts are competitive, so even slight changes in a few states could affect which party wins control.
Trump has pressured other Republican-run states beyond Texas to consider redistricting, while some Democratic governors have indicated they would follow California’s lead in response.
The battle has rallied Democrats nationally following infighting and frustrations among the party’s voters since Republicans took total control of the federal government in January.
