Trending Now - California Primary Tests Impact of Democrats' Redistricting Efforts

WHO:

ABC News - California Democrats, Republican Rep. Darrell Issa, Jim Desmond, Ammar Campa-Najjar, Marni von Wilpert, Brandon Riker, David Valadao, Jasmeet Bains, Randy Villegas, Scott Wiener, Saikat Charkrabati, Connie Chan, Mai Vang, Doris Matsui, Brad Sherman, Jake Levine, Mike Thompson, Eric Jones, Ken Calvert, Young Kim, Kevin Kiley, Eric Swalwell.

WHAT:

ABC News - California's congressional primaries are a preliminary test of Democrats' redistricting efforts.

ABC News - Democrats aim to gain five seats in the U.S. House through redistricting.

ABC News - Nine Democrats are running for the seat vacated by Issa, raising concerns about vote splitting.

ABC News - A special election will be held on June 18 for the remainder of Swalwell's current term.

WHERE:

ABC News - California, specifically the San Diego suburbs and Central Valley.

ABC News - The 48th congressional district in California.

ABC News - A safe Democratic district in San Francisco.

ABC News - Sacramento, San Fernando Valley, Malibu, Napa Valley, and conservative Northern California farming communities.

WHEN:

ABC News - The primary is set for an unspecified Tuesday.

ABC News - A special election will be held on June 18 for the remainder of Swalwell's current term.

WHY:

ABC News - Democrats redrew California's congressional map to counter Republican redistricting gains in Texas.

ABC News - The redistricting effort was a response to President Trump's actions to help the GOP retain control of the House.

HOW:

ABC News - California voters allowed Democrats to suspend the state's independent redistricting commission to create a new map.

(UPDATED June 2, 2026 08:26 UTC)

California's congressional primaries are shaping up as a key test for Democrats, who are aiming to gain five seats in the U.S. House through a redistricting strategy designed to counter Republican gains in Texas. With nine Democrats vying for the seat vacated by Republican Rep. Darrell Issa, concerns about vote splitting are rising, especially in a safe Democratic district in San Francisco. Additionally, a special election is scheduled for June 18 to fill the remainder of Eric Swalwell's current term, following the state's decision to suspend its independent redistricting commission to create a new map.