California Democrats are poised to move forward with a contentious congressional redistricting effort as Texas Republicans continue their redistricting push. CBS News political reporter Hunter Woodall has the latest.

Sacramento

California legislators are considering a bill that would place the state's congressional map back under review, with the goal of increasing Democratic seats in Congress. This move is seen as a direct response to similar redistricting efforts by Republicans in Texas, where congressional districts are being redrawn to favor their party. Unlike Texas, California requires a constitutional amendment, meaning the proposal must go to a public vote. The special election for this measure is scheduled, and significant resources are expected to be invested in the campaign.

The stakes are high for Governor Gavin Newsom, who is closely associated with the initiative and is viewed as a potential future presidential candidate. The outcome of the vote could impact his political prospects and set a precedent for other states considering similar actions. Both parties are closely monitoring these developments, as even small changes in congressional representation could shift the balance of power in the U.S. House.

What to expect in potential California redistricting special election

Also, in the state of California, lawmakers are weighing a bill that would put the state's congressional map back on the drawing board to try to pick up more seats for Democrats in Congress. You're looking live right now at arguments in the California Assembly where a procedural battle is underway between Democrats and Republicans. So Governor Gavin Newsom is trying to turn the tables on Texas Republicans trying to do the very same thing, to try to pick up Republican seats in Congress by redrawing their state's congressional maps. Texas Republicans in their state Senate will vote on that tonight. CBS News political reporter Hunter Woodall is joining us now from Washington. He's watching all of this closely. Hunter, good to be with you. So the question I have, this is really the story of state issues that have national implications. If this plan gets to voters in November, what could this California campaign look like? It's going to be incredibly intense. You know, what California Democrats are trying to do here is essentially counter what Texas Republicans are doing. So in Texas, you have five current Democratic districts that they're redrawing to be more favorable to Republicans. In California, they're taking five Republican districts and trying to make them more favorable to Democrats. But unlike Texas, California actually has to go to the ballot and have a constitutional amendment to get that passed through. That's a major hurdle. And that election has been called very quickly. It's set for November 4th right now. And it's going to take a lot of money. It's going to take a lot of time. And it's going to take a lot of attention very quickly to turn out that vote. And for Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom, the stakes are incredibly high here. He is seen as a potential 2028 presidential contender. And right now, he is really showing that he can fight back against Donald Trump and Republicans. But if this vote fails, a vote that he's really gone heavy in on in terms of this ballot measure that voters will have in November, it really could hurt his potential chances to lead the country moving forward. Well, and also what is fascinating, you know, speaking to Governor Gavin Newsom and his legacy and likely the path that he's trying to lay to what a lot of people think is a presidential campaign in the future. There's also laying the groundwork that this same thing could be done in red states and blue states all over the country. Are you seeing or hearing anything from any state elsewhere in the country looking at this same potential? Absolutely, and that's a factor that continues to be closely watched here, this idea that if California and Texas essentially counter each other and neutralize what each state is trying to do, Republicans actually have a bit of an advantage here because Republicans have legislatures, they have governors in states where even though it's GOP led, GOP controlled, there are some Democratic congressional districts. So the ones that we're watching, Indiana, obviously Missouri, which is a state that President Trump posted about on his Truth Social platform earlier today. And all of these states really, there's not a huge amount of Democratic seats, but there are enough that could have a major impact because we cannot forget, Republicans essentially have a three seat majority in the U.S. House right now. So if Democrats win back three seats under the current lines being used, that could flip control of the chamber. Every seat counts here and congressional races, House races in particular, are incredibly close usually. This really could play a decisive factor. And a lot of people are saying redrawing is not a guarantee necessarily on its face. People are still going to vote for who they're going to vote for. But there is sort of a gamble here, is there not? Not only for Democrats, but also for Republicans, both parties really trying to tip the balance. What's the gamble here for both sides? Well, that's that factor that really it's hard to predict voters in years moving forward. This is all based on recent political performance. And we've seen such major shifts in the Trump era of politics that what we're seeing from voters what we saw from voters in 2024 may not be what we see in 2026, 2028 and 2030. So all of these maps that Democrats are drawing or Republicans are drawing right now, they're really looking at the political performance in those states. This could all change dramatically in future years as voters opinion changes and depending upon who is in power, whether or not, you know, it's President Trump, obviously, over the next for the rest of this current presidential term, but also moving closer after 2028 in 2020, 2030. All these things are on the line. It'll be fascinating to see how voters feel in those coming years. Live from CBS News in Washington, D.C., Hunter Woodall, thank you so much for that.

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Jerusalem

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Texas

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Breakdown