California has 52 congressional districts, with each district’s voters electing a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. In 2025, the state’s delegation includes 43 Democrats and nine Republicans. On Nov. 4, voters will decide on Proposition 50, which would authorize a new, legislature-drawn map until the Citizens Redistricting Commission redraws congressional districts in 2031.
Ballotpedia estimated the partisan lean of each proposed congressional district using precinct data from the 2024 presidential election.
The following maps compare the state’s existing congressional districts with the proposed congressional districts that would be established should voters approve Proposition 50.
In 2024, Kamala Harris (D) won the state of California in the presidential election. She received the most votes in 41 districts, while Donald Trump (R) received the most votes in 11 districts. Two Democrats—Josh Harder (District 9) and Adam Gray (District 13)—were elected in seats where Trump also won the most votes.
Under Proposition 50, Harris would have won 47, and Trump would have won five. This represents a net gain of six districts for Democrats based on presidential election results, or four above the current number (43) held.
The revised congressional district map would also reduce the number of districts where vote margins were less than 10%, from 14 to 10, and less than 5%, from eight to four.
Republican-held districts that would become more Democratic
Under Proposition 50, five Republican-held congressional districts would shift to become more Democratic, based on presidential election results from 2024. Kamala Harris (D) would have won three—District 1, District 3, and District 41—with margins above 10%. District 48 would lean Democratic, with a margin of 3%.
District 22 would have shifted four percentage points toward Democrats; however, Donald Trump (R) would have won the district with a margin of 2%. In 2024, incumbent David Valadao (R) received 53.4%, outperforming Trump’s 51.6%.
Democratic-held districts that would become more Democratic
Under Proposition 50, twelve Democratic-held congressional districts would shift to become more Democratic, based on presidential election results from 2024.
Democratic U.S. House candidates won two of these districts—District 9 and District 13—that Donald Trump also won in the presidential election. In District 9, Josh Harder (D) received 51.8% of the vote. In District 13, Adam Gray (D) won the narrowest U.S. House election of 2024. He received 187, or about 0.09%, more votes than incumbent John Duarte (R).
In District 45, Harris received 49.3%, compared to Trump’s 47.8%. Derek Tran (D) defeated incumbent Michelle Steel (R) with 50.1% of the vote in 2024. This was the third-narrowest U.S. House election of 2024.
Republican-held districts that would become more Republican
Under Proposition 50, four Republican-held congressional districts would shift to become more Republican, based on the presidential election results. The change in election results in three districts, of which Trump won with margins greater than 15%, is less than three percentage points. District 40, however, would shift from a 2% to 12% margin for Trump, a gain of about 10 percentage points. Young Kim (R), first elected in 2020, was re-elected in 2024, outperforming Trump with 55.3% of the vote in District 40.
Democratic-held districts that would become more Republican
While about 17 Democratic-held congressional districts would shift to become more Republican, based on the presidential election results, Harris would have won most with margins of at least 10%. Two districts, however, would have margins smaller than 10% under Proposition 50.
In District 6, Harris received 55.2%, compared to Trump’s 41.4%. Proposition 50 would decrease the margin for Harris from 13.9% to 8.4%. In 2024, incumbent Ami Bera (D) outperformed Harris, receiving 57.6% of the vote.
In District 35, Harris received 53.7%, compared to Trump’s 43.4%. Proposition 50 would decrease the margin for Harris from 10.3% to 7.8%. In 2024, incumbent Norma Torres (D) outperformed Harris, receiving 58.4% of the vote. Torres was first elected in 2014.
Redistricting in other states ahead of the 2026 elections
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) proposed allowing the California State Legislature to redraw the state’s congressional districts ahead of elections in 2026. He said the ballot measure is intended to counter a mid-cycle redistricting proposal in Texas: “They’re not screwing around. We cannot afford to screw around either. We have got to fight fire with fire.”
The Texas State Legislature approved a new congressional redistricting plan on August 22. According to The Texas Tribune, the plan “[positioned] the GOP to net up to five additional seats in Texas.” Gov. Greg Abbott (R) called a special session to address redistricting, among other issues, following a letter from the U.S. Department of Justice that said four districts were unconstitutional racial gerrymanders. Rep. Todd Hunter (R-32), who co-authored the redistricting bill, said “the underlying goal of this plan is straight forward: improve Republican political performance,” and Sen. Phil King (R-10), the bill’s sponsor in the Senate, added, “if Texas does not take this action, there is an extreme risk that that Republican [congressional] majority will be lost.” President Donald Trump (R) supported the legislation, saying, “I got the highest vote in the history of Texas, as you probably know, and we are entitled to five more seats.”
Gov. Newsom said Proposition 50 “will nullify what happens in Texas. We will pick up five seats with the consent of the people, and that is the difference between the approach we’re taking and the approach [Texas Republicans are] taking.”
Following Texas and California, the Missouri State Legislature also passed congressional redistricting legislation that would divide Kansas City, Missouri, between three congressional districts. President Trump said the map would “deliver a gigantic victory for Republicans in the ‘Show Me State,’ and across the country” and provide an “… opportunity to elect an additional MAGA Republican in the 2026 Midterm Elections.” U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-5), whose district includes Kansas City, said, “President Trump’s unprecedented directive to redraw our maps in the middle of the decade and without an updated census is not an act of democracy—it is an unconstitutional attack against it.” Opponents of the map are collecting signatures for a veto referendum, which would place the legislation on the ballot for voters to decide whether to uphold or repeal it. If enough signatures are collected, the veto referendum would appear on the ballot for Nov. 3, 2026, unless a special election is called for an earlier date.
In the U.S. House of Representatives, both House Speaker Mike Johnson (R) and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D) commented on the redistricting efforts. Speaker Johnson said, “Democrats across the nation have played politics with redistricting for decades, and [California] is just the latest example. Republicans who are following state and federal laws will not be lectured by people who abused the system.” Minority Leader Jeffries stated, “Donald Trump and House Republicans believe the only way they can win the midterm elections is to cheat.” He also said, “California responded forcefully … and we will continue to respond, when necessary, across the country.”
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