Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-CA) is taking bold action to block what he calls a “brazen and corrupt” power grab by Gov. Gavin Newsom, introducing federal legislation to ban mid-decade redistricting nationwide and protect the integrity of California’s voter-approved Citizens Redistricting Commission.
Kiley announced Monday that he will introduce legislation to prohibit mid-decade redistricting across the country, aiming to shut down an attempt by California Gov. Gavin Newsom to dismantle his state’s independent redistricting process and redraw congressional maps before the 2030 census.
Kiley’s bill would nullify any new maps adopted between censuses, effectively halting Newsom’s proposed plan, as described by Kiley, to sideline California’s Citizens Redistricting Commission and impose partisan gerrymanders ahead of the 2026 midterms.
“Gavin Newsom is trying to subvert the will of voters and do lasting damage to democracy in California,” Kiley stated in a press release. “Fortunately, Congress has the ability to protect California voters using its authority under the Elections Clause of the U.S. Constitution.”
Kiley posted a video from the House floor blasting the California governor’s plot to eliminate the state’s independent redistricting body. “In 2010, California voters overwhelmingly voted to establish a Citizens Redistricting Commission,” Kiley remarked. “They said voters should choose their politicians—politicians shouldn’t choose their voters.”
Kiley says Newsom initially considered bypassing the Citizens Redistricting Commission entirely by imposing maps drawn by the governor’s office and the legislature, but ultimately backed down after recognizing the move would likely be struck down in court. Now, Newsom appears to be engineering a special election filled with “confusing ballot language and other means of deception” to trick Californians into dismantling the very safeguards they voted to establish.
Kiley warned that Newsom’s plan would drastically reduce Republican representation in California. “He wants to reduce the GOP to just three seats out of 52,” Kiley asserted. “That’s 6% of the delegation, even though Republicans routinely earn over 40% of the vote statewide.”
Even left-leaning watchdog groups are sounding the alarm. Common Cause called Newsom’s maneuver a “dangerous move.” Patricia Sinay, a Democrat serving on the Citizens Redistricting Commission, contended the plan undermines the very purpose of the Commission: to protect voters from partisan hijacking.
Today, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) praised Texas Democrats who fled the state to block a GOP redistricting vote, calling them “the embodiment of good trouble.” Those same Democrats accused Republicans of using the aftermath of a deadly natural disaster as “political cover” to pass maps shifting five seats toward the GOP. California Gov. Gavin Newsom also defended their actions, writing, “This is what fighting for our democracy looks like.”
Kiley’s bill seeks to hold both parties to the same standard: redistrict once per decade, and only after the census. “This will stop a damaging redistricting war from breaking out across the country,” he said. “It’s time to draw the line—literally and constitutionally.”
“This could be the single most egregious act of corruption in the history of our state,” Kiley warned. “Every Californian and every American of decency—regardless of party—should speak out against it.”
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