The California Assembly on Friday released a proposed map of new Congressional districts that voters would weigh in a special election, if approved by the Legislature next week. KCRA 3 first obtained the maps earlier Friday, which were submitted by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee to the California Legislature. Documents obtained by KCRA 3 show a 60-page presentation of the proposed map and also includes a letter by Julie Merz, executive director for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Read that letter here.”We anticipate this proposal will have widespread support both among California office holders and various stakeholders across the state,” Merz said in a statement on Friday. The leaked drafts match what was released by the Assembly on Friday night. See an interactive map below:This comes a day after Gov. Gavin Newsom launched what he and other Democrats are calling the Election Rigging Response Act at a campaign rally in Los Angeles. He and his office have stated for days that if Texas does not back down from its efforts to send more Republicans to Congress, they will attempt to counteract by sending more Democrats to the Lower House. California law does not allow politicians to draw districts, but Democratic leaders are hoping voters approve a measure to temporarily change that in an election later this year. The maps were put together by congressional Democrats and their consultants. An interactive map shared with KCRA 3 was on redistrictingpartners.com, which is headed by elections expert and vice president of Political Data Inc. Paul Mitchell. A news release from Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas states that the California Legislature will consider three measures in order to call the special election:A constitutional amendment that authorizes the replacement of the existing Congressional mapA statute that contains the new proposed Congressional map for voter approvalA statute to call the special election, appropriate funding for election administration, and make conforming changes to election calendars.Rivas’ office also shared a timeline for the next week as legislators work to officially call for a special election:Monday, August 18: Legislation put into print in the Assembly and SenateTuesday, August 19: Assembly and Senate Elections Committees hear legislationWednesday, August 20: Assembly Appropriations Committee hears legislationThursday, August 21: Anticipated floor votes in both Assembly and SenateFull submitted map What does California’s Congressional district map look like?California currently has 52 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. Democrats hold 43 of them, while Republicans have nine.The five California Republicans targeted by the redistricting plan include Representatives Doug LaMalfa in District 1, Kevin Kiley in District 3, David Valadao in District 22, Ken Calvert in District 41, and Darrell Issa in District 48.According to the submitted map, it shows that LaMalfa’s inland rural district would remove many of his Republican North State constituents and stretch west to encompass more Democratic voters along the coast. “If you want to know what’s wrong with these maps – just take a look at them,” LaMalfa said in a statement Friday. “How on earth does Modoc County on the Nevada and Oregon Border have any common interest with Marin County and the Golden Gate Bridge? Voters took this power from Sacramento for just this reason. This is naked politics at its worst.”Kiley’s redrawn map includes parts of Democratic-leaning Sacramento County and removes a large swath of the Eastern Sierra.”Make no mistake, I will win reelection to the House regardless of the proposed changes to my district,” Kiley said Friday. “I fully expect that the beautiful 3rd District will remain exactly as it is. We will defeat Newsom’s sham initiative and vindicate the will of California voters.” A source familiar with District 6 Congressman Ami Bera’s thinking said Bera is now exploring all of his options to keep representing the Sacramento region, including potentially running for District 3 if the new maps are approved.“I have had the honor of representing the Sacramento region in Congress since 2013. I intend to continue representing the Sacramento region in the next Congress,” Bera said. “Right now, we must stop Donald Trump and Texas Republicans from gerrymandering their way to a House majority in 2026. I look forward to supporting this ballot initiative to level the playing field and fight back against Donald Trump’s destructive agenda.”The act of intentionally redrawing district lines to favor a specific political party is known as gerrymandering, which is typically something not publicly boasted about. But with President Donald Trump’s request to have Texas send five more Republicans to the U.S. House of Representatives, Democratic California leaders, including Newsom, have been more open about “fighting fire with fire.”Kiley has decried gerrymandering and proposed legislation that would invalidate mid-decade redistricting efforts. Redistricting is normally done every 10 years after a U.S. Census.If California lawmakers can complete the plan by Aug. 22 for a special election, voters would be asked on Nov. 4 to approve this map that would take effect for the 2026, 2028 and 2030 elections if Texas or another Republican state redistricts before the end of this decade. Since two ballot initiatives in 2008 and 2010 were approved, California’s redistricting process has been done by a citizen-led independent commission.–Lindsay Weber contributed to this report.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
The California Assembly on Friday released a proposed map of new Congressional districts that voters would weigh in a special election, if approved by the Legislature next week.
KCRA 3 first obtained the maps earlier Friday, which were submitted by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee to the California Legislature.
Documents obtained by KCRA 3 show a 60-page presentation of the proposed map and also includes a letter by Julie Merz, executive director for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Read that letter here.
“We anticipate this proposal will have widespread support both among California office holders and various stakeholders across the state,” Merz said in a statement on Friday.
The leaked drafts match what was released by the Assembly on Friday night.
See an interactive map below:
This comes a day after Gov. Gavin Newsom launched what he and other Democrats are calling the Election Rigging Response Act at a campaign rally in Los Angeles. He and his office have stated for days that if Texas does not back down from its efforts to send more Republicans to Congress, they will attempt to counteract by sending more Democrats to the Lower House. California law does not allow politicians to draw districts, but Democratic leaders are hoping voters approve a measure to temporarily change that in an election later this year.
The maps were put together by congressional Democrats and their consultants. An interactive map shared with KCRA 3 was on redistrictingpartners.com, which is headed by elections expert and vice president of Political Data Inc. Paul Mitchell.
A news release from Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas states that the California Legislature will consider three measures in order to call the special election:
A constitutional amendment that authorizes the replacement of the existing Congressional mapA statute that contains the new proposed Congressional map for voter approvalA statute to call the special election, appropriate funding for election administration, and make conforming changes to election calendars.
Rivas’ office also shared a timeline for the next week as legislators work to officially call for a special election:
Monday, August 18: Legislation put into print in the Assembly and SenateTuesday, August 19: Assembly and Senate Elections Committees hear legislationWednesday, August 20: Assembly Appropriations Committee hears legislationThursday, August 21: Anticipated floor votes in both Assembly and Senate
Full submitted map
Sources close to redistricting plan
What does California’s Congressional district map look like?
California currently has 52 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. Democrats hold 43 of them, while Republicans have nine.
The five California Republicans targeted by the redistricting plan include Representatives Doug LaMalfa in District 1, Kevin Kiley in District 3, David Valadao in District 22, Ken Calvert in District 41, and Darrell Issa in District 48.
According to the submitted map, it shows that LaMalfa’s inland rural district would remove many of his Republican North State constituents and stretch west to encompass more Democratic voters along the coast.
“If you want to know what’s wrong with these maps – just take a look at them,” LaMalfa said in a statement Friday. “How on earth does Modoc County on the Nevada and Oregon Border have any common interest with Marin County and the Golden Gate Bridge? Voters took this power from Sacramento for just this reason. This is naked politics at its worst.”
Kiley’s redrawn map includes parts of Democratic-leaning Sacramento County and removes a large swath of the Eastern Sierra.
“Make no mistake, I will win reelection to the House regardless of the proposed changes to my district,” Kiley said Friday. “I fully expect that the beautiful 3rd District will remain exactly as it is. We will defeat Newsom’s sham initiative and vindicate the will of California voters.”
A source familiar with District 6 Congressman Ami Bera’s thinking said Bera is now exploring all of his options to keep representing the Sacramento region, including potentially running for District 3 if the new maps are approved.
“I have had the honor of representing the Sacramento region in Congress since 2013. I intend to continue representing the Sacramento region in the next Congress,” Bera said. “Right now, we must stop Donald Trump and Texas Republicans from gerrymandering their way to a House majority in 2026. I look forward to supporting this ballot initiative to level the playing field and fight back against Donald Trump’s destructive agenda.”
The act of intentionally redrawing district lines to favor a specific political party is known as gerrymandering, which is typically something not publicly boasted about. But with President Donald Trump’s request to have Texas send five more Republicans to the U.S. House of Representatives, Democratic California leaders, including Newsom, have been more open about “fighting fire with fire.”
Kiley has decried gerrymandering and proposed legislation that would invalidate mid-decade redistricting efforts. Redistricting is normally done every 10 years after a U.S. Census.
If California lawmakers can complete the plan by Aug. 22 for a special election, voters would be asked on Nov. 4 to approve this map that would take effect for the 2026, 2028 and 2030 elections if Texas or another Republican state redistricts before the end of this decade. Since two ballot initiatives in 2008 and 2010 were approved, California’s redistricting process has been done by a citizen-led independent commission.
–Lindsay Weber contributed to this report.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel