California's 2025 Congressional Redistricting Proposal

Elections

Aug 20

Overview and Key Milestones

California Democrats have unveiled an aggressive congressional redistricting proposal aimed at countering Republican gerrymandering efforts in Texas. The plan, released on August 15-16, 2025, aims to flip five Republican-held seats, giving Democrats 48 of California's 52 U.S. House seats, up from the current 43.calmatters+1 Wes Bowers’ extensive coverage, published August 19th in the Lodi News Sentinel, is available here.

Timeline

August 15-16, 2025: Democrats released proposed congressional maps~aelc.assembly.ca+1~
August 18-20, 2025: State legislature holds hearings and plans votes~washingtonpost+1~
This week (August 19-23, 2025): Legislature must act to place measure on ballot
November 4, 2025: Special election for voter approval~statewidedatabase~
2026: New districts would take effect if approved

⠀The proposal requires a two-thirds majority in both legislative chambers to advance to the ballot, which Democrats possess with their supermajorities.cbsnews

Lodi and San Joaquin County Impact

Lodi's Division

Currently, Lodi sits entirely within California's 9th Congressional District, represented by Democrat Josh Harder from Tracy. Under the proposed redistricting, Lodi would be split into three separate congressional districts:~yahoo+2

District 7: Northern and central Lodi (bounded by Kettleman Lane to the south, Cherokee Lane to the east, and Lower Sacramento Road to the west), along with Galt, Grove, Thornton, Clements, Linden, Farmington, and West Sacramento~yahoo~
District 8: Western portions of Lodi, combined with Isleton, Vista, Vacaville, Fairfield, Vallejo, Richmond, and Hercules~yahoo~
District 9: Southeastern Lodi (area east of Hutch Street, east of Kman Lane, and east of Cherokee Lane, plus portions along Stock Street and Mission), remaining with cities like Tracy, Brentwood, Pittsburg, Antioch, and Oakley, plus northern Stockton~yahoo~

San Joaquin County's Fragmentation

The proposal represents a dramatic change for San Joaquin County, which would be divided into 5 separate districts from its current 2 congressional districts. San Joaquin County Republican Party Chair David Cushman called this a "worst case scenario," arguing it "really dilutes the ability of the residents of our county to have fair representation in Congress.”

Current Congressional Representation

Josh Harder (D): Currently represents California's 9th Congressional District, which includes all of Lodi and much of San Joaquin County. Harder has served since 2019 and would retain the southeastern portion of Lodi under the proposed maps.congress+1

Local Opposition and Concerns

Lodi City Councilwoman Lisa Craig-Hensley has voiced strong opposition to the city's division: "Dividing our city for political purposes does not serve any of our residents... It is crucial for elected representatives to comprehend the distinct values and requirements of Lodi residents to make equitable decisions that benefit the entire community.".yahoo

The concern extends beyond partisan politics to practical representation issues. Local officials argue that splitting communities reduces their collective voice and makes it harder for representatives to understand local needs, particularly since representatives would need to balance the interests of geographically dispersed and demographically diverse areas.

Statewide Context and Justification

Democrats frame this redistricting as a defensive response to Texas Republicans' own redistricting efforts, which aim to give the GOP five additional House seats at President Trump's request. Governor Gavin Newsom has stated the plan is a "direct counter to what Texas is doing".

The proposed maps would reduce Republican representation in California's delegation from 9 seats to just 4. State Senate Democratic leader Mike McGuire characterized the effort as "drawing a line in the sand to stop Texas and Trump from rigging the election".abc7+1

The redistricting proposal faces legal challenges, with California Republicans filing suit to block the Democratic plan. However, with Democratic supermajorities in both chambers and Governor Newsom's support, the measure is likely to reach voters in November, where Californians will have the final say on whether to adopt these significant changes to their congressional representation.reuters

Maps Available

The official interactive maps and GIS shapefiles are available through the California State Assembly's redistricting website.aelc.assembly.ca+1

For the most accurate and detailed maps showing exactly how Lodi would be divided, the official interactive mapping tools are available at the California Statewide Database or the Assembly's redistricting website.statewidedatabase+1