Gavin Newsom Begs Trump To ‘Stop’ Texas Redistricting For Sake Of ‘Democracy’

Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom demanded that President Donald Trump call off the GOP-led effort to redraw Texas’ and other red states’ House maps — threatening to move forward with his push to make his state’s own map even more lopsided in favor of Democrats.

Newsom, who has already proposed a ballot initiative to implement a map drawn by the Democratic-dominated state legislature, said in a Monday letter to Trump that he would call off California’s attempt at a mid-decade gerrymander if red states such as Texas called off their efforts. The governor claimed the ongoing effort in the Lone Star State is “hyper partisan” and an “affront to American democracy” — despite the newly proposed Texas map having a higher percentage of Democratic seats than the Golden State’s current district map has of Republican seats.

Texas’s new map, if implemented, would likely leave eight Democratic seats and 30 Republican ones, giving Democrats control of 21% of the state’s Congressional delegation. California, however, currently has nine Republican seats of its 52, leaving the GOP to represent only 17% of the state in the House. If Newsom moves forward with the ballot initiative and California voters approve it, up to five GOP seats could be redrawn, dropping Republicans’ reach over the state’s House delegation to just 8% — less than half of the percentage of Democrats likely to be elected under Texas’ proposed map.

“You are playing with fire, risking the destabilization of our democracy, while knowing that California can neutralize any gains you hope to make,” Newsom wrote to the president. “If you will not stand down, I will be forced to lead an effort to redraw the maps in California to offset the rigging of maps in red states. But if the other states call off their redistricting efforts, we will happily do the same. And American democracy will be better for it.”