A resounding focus of the 2026 elections — like many midterms — is the U.S. House. Namely: Which political party will control Congress for the final two years of President Donald Trump’s presidency?
But it’s also the first real general election test in some changed or outright new congressional districts after California voters approved — and courts allowed — a mid-cycle redistricting plan last year.
The idea, voters may recall, was to make several congressional seats across the state more easily winnable for Democrats, an effort meant to counter similar partisan plans in states with Republican governors who wanted to do the same for GOP candidates. A special election was called in late August last year, giving campaigns about six weeks to make their cases before voting began.
And on election night, it wasn’t long before it was clear that voters overwhelmingly approved the redistricting plan.
The new maps were already in place in California for the June primary election. But it’s the ongoing general election, where the redistricting changes will really emerge. Here’s a quick look at how the Southern California congressional landscape changed.
LA district gets bluer
Voters in California’s 27th Congressional District — which now represents Lancaster, Palmdale and Santa Clarita in the Antelope and Santa Clarita valleys — had a bit of a history of going back and forth between electing a Democrat or a Republican to represent them in Congress.
But after redistricting, the district lost Acton and Quartz Hill while dropping further south into the San Fernando Valley, picking up the neighborhoods of Reseda and Lake Balboa.
And while it was one of the most competitive House races in 2024, that’s no longer the case. Democrats in this northern L.A. County district have a 15-percentage-point voter registration advantage over Republicans, and the nonpartisan Cook Political Report now considers it to be a solidly Democratic district. More than 42% of registered voters in this district are Democrats, while 23% are Republicans and another 23% are no party preference, according to the latest voter registration numbers.
Orange County grows its representatives
When ballots were cast in 2024, Orange County was split into six congressional districts.
But when all the dust settled on the new maps, Orange County was divided up into eight districts, increasing its representation in Congress. Albeit, two of those districts — the 38th District and 41st District — mostly encompass communities to the north in L.A. County while only picking up a few of Orange County’s cities.
A new coastal district emerges
A new district for many Orange County voters this year is California’s 42nd Congressional District. While it still includes Long Beach, as it did before, it now spans down the coast, picking up Huntington Beach and part of Newport Beach.
Despite adding some of the more conservative enclaves in Orange County, the district is still considered safe for Democrats. It’s ranked “solid” for Democrats by the Cook Political Report, and the latest statistics show nearly 41% of registered voters here are Democrats, while 30% are Republicans and 21.5% are no party preference.
A southern district turns purple
Election experts have said California’s 48th Congressional District has become a “more competitive” one.
This district, which spans Riverside and San Diego counties, inherited deep blue Palm Springs after redistricting. That meant it went from a relatively Republican district — 41% of registered voters were Republican, 29% Democratic and 21% no party preference at this time last year — to slightly blue, with 37% of voters being Democrats compared to 32% Republicans and 22% no party preference.
Republican-on-Republican fight
Redistricting pitted two GOP incumbent representatives, Ken Calvert and Young Kim, against one another in California’s 40th Congressional District, which spans Orange and Riverside counties.
Both Republican lawmakers survived a crowded primary election in June, so the district is guaranteed that a veteran representative will continue to represent it come 2027.