The two most populous states are in a political battle poised to have a major impact on the balance of power in Washington DC.

This fall, California's voters will decide whether to approve the Democratic party's plan to gerrymander the state's congressional map, which serves a transparent political purpose: countering Texas Republicans' new map.

Texas lawmakers approved a new congressional map this week at the behest of President Donald Trump, seeking to preserve his Republican Party's slim majority in the U.S. House of Representatives in the November 2026 midterm elections.

The battle over redistricting is playing out in the country’s two largest states. Texas and California passed redistricting efforts this week that counter each other. David Goodman and Laurel Rosenhall explain how redistricting is playing out in both states and what the final outcome could look like.

Democrats in the Texas House of Representatives returned to Austin on Aug. 18, 2025, but their protest of redistricting efforts continues.