5:03Assembly Republican leader James Gallagher denounces the Democratic scheme to push through a party-driven redraw of California’s U.S. House boundaries during a briefing on Aug. 18, 2025, in Sacramento, Calif.Tran Nguyen/AP
Golden State GOP members whose seats would tilt bluer under the proposed map revisions are blasting the maneuver as politically motivated and damaging to constituents.
Governor Gavin Newsom and fellow Democrats have openly aimed at flipping five Republican-held districts, retaliating against Texas GOP-drawn lines expected to grant that party an additional five seats.
Per a University of Virginia Center for Politics review released Monday, Rep. Doug LaMalfa’s 1st District would lurch from a 24.9-point Harris deficit in the 2024 returns to a 12.3-point Harris edge if that contest were rerun under the new plan. Likewise, the 48th District of 12-term Rep. Darrell Issa would swing from Harris –15.3 to Harris +3.4.
The Center further showed Rep. Kevin Kiley’s 3rd District flipping from Trump +4 to Harris +10 under the draft boundaries.
Assembly Republican leader James Gallagher denounces the Democratic scheme to push through a party-driven redraw of California’s U.S. House boundaries during a briefing on Aug. 18, 2025, in Sacramento, Calif.Tran Nguyen/AP
The Center concluded that Rep. Ken Calvert’s 41st District would virtually vanish in its present form, while Rep. David Valadao’s 22nd would slide into greater toss-up territory.
Cook Political Report currently tags Kiley’s seat as Likely GOP for 2026, while Calvert’s and Valadao’s are labeled Leaning Republican among competitive contests.
"I’m determined to stop Newsom’s power play in the special vote," Calvert told ABC News. "Californians entrusted redistricting to the Independent Citizens Commission and deliberately removed it from politicians who once inked their own boundaries. These rigged maps illustrate exactly why the public distrusts Sacramento insiders. I’ll defend keeping that authority with the people."
LaMalfa likewise condemned the plan for stitching together disparate communities lacking clear links.
"Want to grasp how flawed these lines are? Look at the map. What shared concerns could Modoc County on the Oregon–Nevada line possibly have with Marin County at the Golden Gate?" LaMalfa declared. "Voters stripped this authority from Sacramento precisely to stop such schemes. This is raw political gamesmanship."
Congressman Doug LaMalfa addresses constituents at a town hall in Chico, Calif., Aug. 11, 2025.KRCR
LaMalfa also warned that California’s action could ignite copycat redistricting pushes in GOP-led states like Florida and Indiana, stressing that "mid-cycle remapping is improper everywhere."
Issa spokesman Jonathan Wilcox echoed that stance, branding the drive "an overt power grab that voters who removed politicians such as Newsom from the process should reject. Congressman Issa backed the creation of the independent commission as the ideal structure for California, and sees the state constitution being shredded for narrow partisan gain."
Kiley has filed a bill in Congress that would outlaw any mid-decade redistricting nationwide.
"Rest assured, I’ll return to the House no matter how they redraw the lines, but I fully anticipate preserving the splendid 3rd District as drawn. Together we will defeat Newsom’s phony proposition and reaffirm California voters’ choice," Kiley vowed.
A spokesperson for Valadao did not reply to a request for comment.
Sourse: abcnews.go.com
