Newsom unveils California redistricting plan to counter Texas

LOS ANGELES - Gov. Gavin Newsom boldly announced on Thursday that California is forging ahead to redraw congressional maps in an effort to help Democrats win five more U.S. House seats in 2026.

"We need to stand up — not just California. Other blue states need to stand up," Newsom said.

Call to blue states

His move, alongside a host of Democratic leaders, is a direct response to a Republican-led effort in Texas, pushed by President Donald Trump as his party seeks to maintain its slim House majority after the midterm elections. 

Texas lawmakers are considering a new map that would help them send five more Republicans to Washington, but Democrats have so far halted a vote by leaving the state to prevent their GOP colleagues from meeting Trump’s demands.

"We can’t stand back and watch this democracy disappear district by district all across the country," Newsom said in Los Angeles, while also calling for a Nov. 4 special election to put the new maps before voters.

Lorena Gonzalez, president of the California Federation of Labor Unions, said this isn't something to take lightly but the Democrats are "tired of being lap dogs. It's time for us to show some disobedience to Donald Trump." 

Mocking Trump 

Newsom has been standing up to Trump lately, mocking and trolling him on social media, inviting people to his "BIG BEAUTIFUL PRESS CONFERENCE" on X, writing in all caps, to mimic the president's style and tone. 

"We're going to fight fire with fire," Newsom said in a previous statement. 

State lawmakers must officially declare the special election, which they plan to do next week.

The Democrats’ proposed maps are expected to be released on Friday. Then lawmakers plan to quickly approve them next week. Democrats hold super majorities in both chambers.

California map 

The California map would only take effect if Texas and other states move forward with their own redistricting efforts, and they would remain through the 2030 elections. After that, Democrats say they would return mapmaking power to an independent redistricting commission approved by voters more than a decade ago.

There are 435 seats in the U.S. House and Republicans currently hold a 219-212 majority, with four vacancies. New maps are typically drawn once a decade after the census is conducted. Many states give legislators the power to draw maps but some, like California, rely on an independent commission that is supposed to be nonpartisan.

Mid-decade redistricting ‘crazy’

Paul Mitchell, vice president of Political Data Incorporated, a bipartisan voter data firm, said the idea of doing a mid-decade redistricting is pretty unheard of, especially in a compressed timeline. He said this would also be the first time voters would get to vote on the maps. 

"This is crazy," Mitchell said. "It is unprecedented. It shouldn't be happening.  But since it is happening, I think California voters are ready. We'll fight fire with fire if we have to."
 

Republicans vow to fight

Newsom recently sent a letter to Trump saying California would halt its redistricting effort if Texas agreed to do the same, but Trump did not respond to the request.

Corrin Rankin, chair of the California Republican Party, issued a statement this week saying the party would go to court to fight Newsom's plans to redistrict the state.

"The California Republican Party will fight it in the courts, at the ballot box and in every community," Rankin said.

To that end, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott told Fox News that if California does move to redraw its district, Texas will simply counter by amending its lines again to add even more Republican seats in Washington.