California Gov. Gavin Newsom said on Thursday, August 14, 2025, that he will ask voters to approve a mid-decade congressional redistricting plan intended to add five Democratic-leaning U.S. House seats in the state. He framed the move as a direct response to Republican efforts in Texas to redraw that state’s map before the next census cycle, saying California would “fight fire with fire.” Newsom set a target date of November 4 for a special statewide ballot measure to authorize the new lines.