Abortion-rights groups are backing California Democrats in the state’s escalating redistricting battle, warning that Republicans are trying to secure congressional seats after passing unpopular health care cuts and abortion restrictions.
Jodi Hicks, CEO of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, spoke alongside Governor Gavin Newsom as he promoted Democratic-drawn maps aimed at offsetting Republican efforts in Texas. “You take away our freedoms, we’ll take away your seats,” Hicks said during Newsom’s pitch to adopt the maps.
California lawmakers are currently debating whether to adopt the new districts, which would temporarily replace boundaries created by the state’s independent redistricting commission. If approved, voters would have the final decision in a November special election.
Planned Parenthood has stepped up its political efforts in response to funding cuts and abortion restrictions following the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade. The Trump administration recently barred the organization from receiving reimbursements for services such as cancer screenings and birth control, though enforcement has been paused pending a legal challenge.
John Seago, president of Texas Right to Life, said his group was not taking a position on either state’s proposals but argued that Democrats’ actions were hypocritical, noting California’s “shield laws” that protect patients seeking abortions.
Hicks pledged her group would “go all in” on Newsom’s measure, though she declined to disclose spending plans. She said other health care groups may join the fight, pointing to widespread opposition to Medicaid cuts. Reproductive Freedom for All also praised Newsom for “holding Republicans accountable for trying to steal votes.”
Planned Parenthood Texas Votes has mobilized supporters to oppose Texas redistricting efforts, while the national Planned Parenthood Action Fund has urged Democratic states to use “all tools in their power” to resist Republican maps.
Newsom said the proposal would “neutralize” GOP gerrymandering in Texas and help safeguard Democrats’ slim House majority. He urged other Democratic states to consider similar measures, raising the possibility of a wave of partisan redistricting ahead of the 2026 midterms.
California Republican Party chair Corrin Rankin criticized the plan as a “calculated power grab that dismantles the very safeguards voters put in place” with redistricting reform in 2010.
Democratic leaders argue the move is necessary to protect democracy, pointing to voter dissatisfaction with Republican-backed health and tax legislation. State Sen. Sabrina Cervantes said, “Because they know they cannot win fair elections, they are changing the rules in the middle of the game.”
Republican Rep. Doug LaMalfa called mid-decade redistricting “wrong, no matter where it’s being done.” He defended his vote for Trump’s spending bill at a contentious town hall, saying it “doesn’t cut a single dollar from people who qualify” for Medi-Cal.
If approved, California’s 52 districts would take effect for the 2026, 2028, and 2030 elections, but only if another state enacts partisan maps of its own. After the 2030 census, the independent commission would regain control.
Paul Mitchell, a Democratic redistricting expert who helped draft the new map, said the plan mostly preserves existing districts, with fewer than 10% of voters moved in more than half of them. “This is not a Twitter hack job,” Mitchell said. “I want to get back nonpartisan redistricting, but right now we’re in a crisis.”
Republican strategist Rob Stutzman noted that voters still strongly support California’s independent system and said passing such a complex measure could prove difficult. “You’re asking voters to rig an election because allegedly Texas is rigging an election,” he said. “’No’ votes are so much easier when it’s confusing, and this is extremely confusing.”
Dave Wasserman of the Cook Political Report said California and Texas could trigger a “redistricting apocalypse” with major consequences for control of Congress. He added that public opposition to health care cuts remains a significant challenge for Republicans.
