Sabato’s Crystal Ball shifted 11 California races toward Democrats on Wednesday, while pushing one district toward the GOP.
Voters in the Golden State passed Proposition 50, a ballot measure that will allow lawmakers to redraw congressional lines ahead of the midterm elections.
The state’s Democrats in Washington — including Reps. Jim Costa, Adam Gray, Josh Harder, Doug LaMalfa, Dave Min, Derek Tran and George Whitesides — saw their ratings shift toward more favorable reelection bids following the passage of the redistricting plan, according to the nonpartisan election analyst at the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics.
Republican Reps. Darrell Issa (Calif.) and David Valadao are now rated as being in toss-up races after previously residing in GOP-leaning districts.
Their GOP colleague, Rep. Young Kim, was the only Republican lawmaker in California to receive a safe rating from the Sabato’s Crystal Ball.
California’s redistricting measure ditches the independent system previously used to plan congressional maps, at least partially in an effort to combat Texas Republicans’ own redistricting move that could net the GOP up to five additional House seats in the next midterms.
Alongside the Golden State, Ohio also changed its voter map last week. Illinois, Kansas, Maryland and Indiana could soon follow suit as Democrats aim to overtake House Republicans’ slim majority next year.
