California voters overwhelmingly support redrawing the state’s congressional map to fight back against the GOP’s redistricting move in Texas, a new poll released Friday found. And it’s a good sign for Democrats’ chances at staving off Republicans’ attempts to rig the 2026 midterms.

The UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll conducted for the Los Angeles Times found that 48% of registered voters said they would vote for the ballot measure, as opposed to 32% who are opposed. 

But when narrowed down to voters who “regularly vote in statewide elections,” support for the ballot measure grows, with 55% saying they’d vote in favor and 34% who said they’d vote no—a good sign for the ballot measure’s chances at passage.

The poll was released a day after Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom officially signed legislation that puts on the Nov. 4 ballot a question asking voters to suspend the state’s independent redistricting commission and redraw the state’s congressional districts for the 2026 election. 

The ballot measure was in direct response to Texas Republicans’ mid-cycle redistricting, in which they heeded demands from President Donald Trump to redraw their congressional districts to wipe as many as five Democrats out of the state’s U.S. House delegation.

“Californians have been uniquely targeted by the Trump Administration, and thanks to the hard work of the California legislature, they will have a choice to fight back—and bring much needed accountability to Trump’s efforts to undermine the democratic process,” Newsom said at a bill signing event.

California GOP lawmakers—whose districts would be nuked if voters pass the ballot measure—have been whining about redistricting efforts. It’s a good sign they are worried the measure will pass and they will lose their seats.

“This is simply a Democrat power grab. It’s time we fight back and block the Gavinmander on Nov 4th. Sign my petition to show your opposition to Newsom’s attempt to rig the Midterms,” Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), whose seat would become unwinnable for a Republican in the map Californians will vote on, wrote in a post on X.

But when asked by Fox News whether Republicans brought this upon themselves by making the first move to redraw Texas’ maps, Issa sidestepped the question.

“The new district they have drawn for me … was specifically drawn to take away Republican votes and add Democrat votes,” Issa said. 

Ultimately, the poll conducted for the LA Times found that Newsom’s approval rating is on the rise, with 51% of Californians approving of the job he’s doing and 43% disapproving. That’s up from April, when 46% approved of his job performance and 46% disapproved.

Mark DiCamillo, the director of the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll, directly attributed Newsom’s rise in approval to Newsom’s public pushback against Trump.

“One factor that appears related to the recent uptick in the governor’s job rating is that by a two-to-one margin Californians support Newsom’s taking a much more vocal stance in criticizing President Donald Trump and his administration’s policies toward California,” DiCamillo said in a polling memo.

Other Democratic governors should take note: Fighting back against Trump’s authoritarian power grabs is popular. Do more of it.