The former president lent his support to Gov. Gavin Newsom's retaliatory redistricting plan shortly before Republicans in Texas passed their bill to redraw congressional lines.

California Democrats are taking up their proposed constitutional amendment to temporarily redraw their congressional maps, hours after Republicans in the Texas House passed new maps of their own.

Former President Barack Obama has waded into states’ efforts at rare mid-decade redistricting efforts, saying he agrees with California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s response to alter his state’s congressional maps, in the way of Texas redistricting efforts promoted by President Donald Trump aimed at shoring up Republicans’ position in next year’s elections.

California Democrats are making moves to put a ballot measure pushing pro-Democratic maps before voters this fall. Other Republican-controlled states are looking at redraws, too.

Democratic voters loathe partisan redistricting, but support California doing it to counter Texas, according to a new national poll on Gavin Newsom’s high-stakes gerrymander.