Democrats' hopes for 2026 boosted by California vote

Democrats head into next year's elections with a fighting chance to win back the US House of Representatives, after victories that showcase sharply different visions of the party as it seeks to claw back some power in a Washington dominated by Republican President Donald Trump, reported Reuters.

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The most critical win for Democrats' House hopes came in California on Tuesday, when voters approved a ballot measure to allow state lawmakers to adopt a new congressional map that could net the party as many as five new seats, offsetting a comparable move in Texas to benefit Republicans in a nationwide battle over redistricting.

Republicans are eager to seize on New York City's mayor-elect — democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani, a state representative with a sweeping progressive agenda — who Trump and his allies will seek to portray as the face of the Democratic Party in the November 2026 midterm elections that will determine control of the U.S. Congress for the final two years of Trump's term.