What happens to California's redistricting after Texas' maps were struck down?

Politics What happens to California's redistricting after Texas' congressional maps were struck down in court? By Nidia Cavazos Updated on: November 20, 2025 / 9:09 AM EST / CBS News Add CBS News on Google Gov. Gavin Newsom said California's redistricting would counter Texas' rare mid-decade redistricting push. That doesn't mean California is turning back after a federal court in Texas blocked the state's recently redrawn congressional map from going into effect for the 2026 midterm elections.Tuesday's court ruling came weeks after California voters formally approved a ballot measure that was introduced to counteract Texas' redistricting. The California measure originally included trigger language that said the state would only redraw its congressional map in response to a similar move by a Republican-led state, but legislators removed the language before voters went to the polls. "Donald Trump and Greg Abbott played with fire, got burned and democracy won," Newsom wrote on X Tuesday following the court ruling. "This ruling is a win for Texas, and for every American who fights for free and fair elections."Paul Mitchell, whose firm was hired to draw California's congressional districts, posted on social media that the maps will be staying in place. "The trigger language was removed in the legislative process as it was clear that TX was redistricting. So, even if their map is invalidated/postponed, the Prop 50 maps stay in place," Mitchell wrote.  Earlier this year, Texas lawmakers redrew their congressional maps in a rare mid-decade redistricting effort, which kicked off after President Trump pushed for new congressional district boundaries that could help secure five Republican-friendly seats. The move set off a redistricting battle across the U.S., with Newsom — a potential 2028 presidential candidate —  leading an effort to neutralize potential Republican gains in Texas by redrawing California's own congressional lines to net u...