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.

The gambit has triggered a national redistricting war, as governors from both major parties threaten to initiate similar efforts in other states.

Governor Gavin Newsom has rallied enough support from local Democratic leaders to plow ahead with a controversial initiative to redraw California’s congressional maps. A key next task: tapping the state’s wealthy to help sell the plan to voters.

A California legislative hearing turned into a shouting match Tuesday as a Republican lawmaker clashed with Democrats over a partisan plan to rewrite U.S. House maps to win Democrats more seats. A committee voted along party lines to advance a new congressional map in response to a Republican redistricting effort in Texas that President Donald Trump wants.

Gov. Gavin Newsom continues to push California into a redistricting cold war amid President Trump's bid to bolster House Republicans' power ahead of the midterm. Why it matters: Trump has positioned Texas Republicans' redistricting efforts as a strategy for GOP congressional control,

Democrats have proposed a new congressional map for California that could offset Republican efforts to redistrict in Texas, giving the party a chance at five new Democratic House seats in the Golden State.