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.”
Newsom also stated California could counteract “any gains” the Republican Party hopes to make in mid-decade redistricting. However, as Democrats continue to face gerrymandering challenges of their own design, Republicans are reportedly looking to gain a handful of House seats by potentially seeking to redistrict other red states — such as Indiana, Florida, Missouri and Ohio — ahead of the 2026 midterms.
Florida is the only other red state thus far to take concrete steps towards redrawing their lines, with Republican Florida House Speaker Daniel Perez launching a Select Committee on Congressional Redistricting in early August. The Sunshine State currently has 20 GOP-held seats and eight Democratic seats. Republicans could gain two or three seats in Ohio where Democrats only hold five of the state’s 15 seats, and redrawing Indiana could offer the GOP up to two seats, giving them full control of the Hoosier State’s nine seats. Missouri could redraw its lines to offer Republicans one more seat in the House.
Newsom’s letter comes as the redistricting battle continued to heat up over the weekend, with Democratic Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker claiming Texas Republicans are stripping voting rights with the new map — despite his state currently boasting a gerrymandered House map where Republicans only hold 18% of all seats.
“As I say, what they’re talking about is a distraction. The reality is the violation of people’s voting rights is what Texas is attempting to do,” Pritzker said Sunday on “Meet The Press.” “That’s what’s wrong with their efforts right now and the fact that the president of the United States knows it and nevertheless, is asking them to do it. That is what’s wrong with what we’re seeing right now.”
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