For years, California was held up by reform advocates as a model: the state’s independent redistricting commission was designed to remove legislators from direct control over line drawing, reducing partisan influence and increasing fairness in representation.
Those maps were upheld by a federal appeals court in early 2026 despite legal challenges from Republicans alleging racial discrimination, and now could be used in the 2026, 2028, and 2030 elections.
California’s decision reflects a significant shift in political calculations. Some Democratic leaders concluded that strict adherence to non‑partisan reform principles could inadvertently leave their party structurally disadvantaged if Republicans continued to redraw maps in their favor elsewhere.
As a result, a state that once championed independent commissions responded with a strategy that temporarily bypasses that commission to create a counter‑balancing set of district lines.
Similar debates are unfolding in other states. For example, in Virginia, Democratic lawmakers advanced a constitutional amendment to return redistricting power to the legislature — effectively bypassing the bipartisan or independent commissions that had previously guided the state’s mapmaking.
Advocates argue this is necessary to counteract GOP redistricting elsewhere, while critics say it undermines voter‑approved reforms and opens the door to more partisan manipulation. Continue reading…
