Obama reportedly said the California redistricting plan, which is being proposed in response to a Texas redistricting that could add five GOP seats in the U.S. House, would only be used if Texas Republicans follow through with the new congressional map.

Former President Barack Obama said Tuesday that he supported a proposal by California Democrats to redraw congressional lines in response to a Republican-led push in Texas to gain additional US House seats but expressed unease with the broader effects of political gerrymandering.

Former President Barack Obama is in favor of California’s redistricting plan. The former president threw his support behind the effort while the state legislature continues to advance bills to convene a special election in November, when voters would decide whether to implement congressional maps for the next three elections.

The former president said that what Texas Republicans are doing requires an equally aggressive response from Democrats.

California Democrats are taking a series of votes in a bid to pass a mid-decade redistricting plan, a day after Republicans in the Texas House passed new maps of their own. In California, the state Assembly and Senate are taking up a trio of bills that will allow for a special election to pass a constitutional amendment to replace the state’s existing congressional maps through 2030.

They want to do this by passing a state constitutional amendment via a ballot initiative during the 2026 general election.