SACRAMENTO, the United States, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- California lawmakers on Thursday approved Governor Gavin Newsom's plan to redraw the state's political map, a move aimed at countering the Republican-led redistricting in Texas that could shape the control of the U.S. Congress in the 2026 elections.
The California State Assembly and Senate voted to pass a package of bills, which sets the stage for voters to decide whether to redraw congressional maps this year. The bills signed by Newsom later in the day will go to voters in a special statewide election on Nov. 4.
"We will be the first state in U.S. history to, in the most democratic way, submit to the people of our state the ability to determine their own maps that simply has not been done," Newsom told reporters shortly before signing the package.
Redistricting means redrawing electoral district boundaries that impact elections for the U.S. House of Representatives. Newsom's plan would allow one-time adjustments in 2026, 2028 and 2030.
The plan could net Democrats five more U.S. House seats. California, with nearly 40 million residents, has the largest delegation in the U.S. House, with 52 seats.
Before Thursday's votes, Newsom and other Democrats have repeatedly said that California's gerrymandered maps would only take effect if other states conduct their own mid-decade redistricting.
On Wednesday, the Republican-dominated Texas House of Representatives passed a redistricting bill, highlighting what analysts called a "gerrymandering arms race" in the country. The bill could give Republicans five new seats in the U.S. House in next year's midterm elections.
The Texas vote came after a two-week delay when more than 50 Texas Democratic lawmakers stayed out of the state in protest against the rare mid-decade redistricting plan. ■