(MENAFN) California voters on Tuesday approved a new congressional map designed to strengthen Democratic prospects in next year’s midterm elections, countering efforts by US President Donald Trump to improve Republican chances.

The measure, Proposition 50, was proposed by Governor Gavin Newsom in response to a Republican-led initiative in Texas aimed at flipping five House seats in the upcoming national elections. Known as the "Election Rigging Response Act," Prop 50 redraws district boundaries to give Democrats a better opportunity to secure those seats in California’s congressional delegation.

Reports indicate that the measure passed decisively, with 64.5% of voters supporting it and 59% of the votes counted by the time the Associated Press projected approval at 11 pm Eastern Time, coinciding with the closing of California polls.

The initiative reflects Trump’s broader strategy to retain Republican control of the House during the final two years of his presidency, a period when the party holding the White House traditionally loses seats in Congress. Redistricting is typically conducted every ten years following the census, making this midcycle appeal to Republican governors highly unusual.

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