California Passes Retaliatory Redistricting Measure — Governor Newsom Bypasses Independent Commission After Texas GOP Gerrymander

In response to Texas's mid-decade gerrymander, California Governor Gavin Newsom pushed a ballot measure to bypass the state's independent redistricting commission and draw a new map designed to flip five Republican-held seats to Democrats. "Two can play this game," Newsom wrote. Virginia also approved maps aimed at generating more Democratic seats. These counter-moves represented an unprecedented national gerrymandering arms race — the first time multiple states engaged in mid-decade retaliatory redistricting since the practice was largely abandoned in the 1970s.