Palm Springs residents would be moved from one congressional district to another under new maps released Friday by California officials targeting Republican-held seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The city currently sits in District 41, represented by Rep. Ken Calvert, but would be transferred to District 48 under the proposed redistricting. District 48 is currently held by Rep. Darrell Issa, who will not seek reelection.
For Palm Springs residents, the change would mean new congressional representation and potentially different political dynamics. The city would join other areas of District 48 that include parts of San Diego County under the proposed maps.
Currently, Palm Springs shares representation with Idyllwild and Rancho Mirage in Calvert’s District 41, which covers the southeast portion of California. Under the new proposal, District 41 would be completely relocated to include cities such as Lakewood, Bellflower, Downey, Brea and La Habra, removing the desert communities entirely.
The redistricting proposal was announced one day after Gov. Gavin Newsom held a news conference in Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo to announce a November special election for voter approval. Palm Springs’ move is part of a broader effort targeting five Republican-held congressional seats across California.
An analysis by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee indicates that the redrawn districts would contain more Democratic-leaning voters than Republicans, with approximately one-third of voters being Latino. This shift could affect the political representation Palm Springs residents receive in Congress.
Julie Merz of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee wrote to the state legislature that the new maps would “serve the best interest of California voters” as the state responds to Texas redistricting efforts aimed at reducing Democratic representation.
“It allows for more compact districts than in the current Commission-drawn map, keeps more communities and neighborhoods together, splits fewer cities, and makes minimal disruptions to the Commission-drawn map so as to impact as few residents as possible,” Merz said in a statement.
The proposed maps must be reviewed and approved by the state legislature before becoming final. Democratic leaders in both the state assembly and state senate have pledged support for Newsom’s plan to counter redistricting efforts by Republican-controlled states.
The redistricting represents California’s response to President Donald Trump’s call for Texas to redraw district lines as the GOP faces potential losses in the 2026 midterm elections. Trump stated during a Tuesday CNBC interview that “We are entitled to five more seats” in Texas while pointing to California’s existing maps drawn by an independent commission.
“Other blue states need to stand up,” Newsom said.
Residents may submit public comments on the proposed maps through a form available on the state assembly’s redistricting website before the legislature makes its final decision.
