LOS ANGELES — California Democrats are taking the gloves off.

Gov. Gavin Newsom, flanked by top party leaders and union bosses, unveiled a coordinated push to redraw the state’s congressional lines — a move that could topple as many as six Republican incumbents and tip the House balance in 2026.

The plan, dubbed the Election Rigging Response Act, will go before voters in a Nov. 4 special election. The goal: override California’s independent redistricting commission and lock in Democratic-leaning maps until 2030.

> “We can’t stand back and watch this democracy disappear, district by district,” Newsom told the cheering crowd. “Not just California: other states need to stand up.”

A Blue-State Counteroffensive

This isn’t just about California. It’s part of a national arms race in gerrymandering — sparked when President Trump pressured Texas Republicans to draw a new map cementing their razor-thin House majority. Democrats say they’re simply fighting fire with fire, with similar efforts underway in New York.

Sen. Alex Padilla didn’t mince words:

> “They know they’re not just unpopular, they’re wrong. The only hope they have of keeping power next November is to rig the system.”

Money, Muscle, and Messaging

Backing the campaign:

House Democrats’ main super PAC

Megadonor Bill Bloomfield

California’s most powerful labor unions

At Thursday’s rally, union leaders also tied the fight to Trump’s immigration raids in Los Angeles, calling them political intimidation. SEIU California’s David Huerta — detained during a protest — grew emotional recalling families torn apart.

Organizers hope outrage over Trump’s policies will outweigh voter hesitation to rewrite the state’s redistricting rules.

A Tightrope Battle

It won’t be easy. Internal polls show only a narrow initial lead for the measure, and a POLITICO-Citrin Center-Possibility Lab survey found most Californians still support the independent commission.

Opposition could come from heavyweights like former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and GOP donor Charles Munger, both champions of independent redistricting in 2010.

But with no donation limits on ballot measures, this is shaping up to be one of the most expensive political fights of the year — a proxy war over Trump’s grip on Congress.