Catching Up: Texas and California Battle Over Congressional Redistricting
The California initiative is contingent on Republican-led states moving forward with their redistricting plans, signaling a nationwide “tit-for-tat” battle for control of Congress.
Photo: AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez
Overview
Date: August 14-15, 2025
Topic: Interstate Battle Over Congressional Redistricting and House Control
Summary: California Governor Gavin Newsom has launched a campaign for a ballot measure to redraw the state’s congressional map, aiming to gain up to five Democratic seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. This extraordinary mid-decade redistricting effort is a direct response to President Donald Trump’s urging for Texas Republicans to gerrymander their state to secure more GOP House seats. The California initiative is contingent on Republican-led states moving forward with their redistricting plans, signaling a nationwide “tit-for-tat” battle for control of Congress. Meanwhile, Texas Democratic lawmakers, who previously fled their state to deny a quorum and block the Republican map, have signaled their readiness to return, with their conditions for return reportedly met by the planned actions in California and Texas. The political maneuvering highlights the high stakes for both parties ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Sources
The New York Times - Newsom’s Latest Statewide Campaign Is About Redistricting. And Donald Trump.
The New York Times - Border Patrol Agents Show Up in Force at Newsom Rally
CNN - Texas Democrats signal they are ready to end redistricting standoff and return to state
The Washington Post - After evading police and threats, Texas lawmakers prepare their return
Key Points
California Governor Gavin Newsom’s redistricting plan is a direct response to Texas’s attempt to redraw congressional maps to gain Republican seats, characterized as “fighting fire with fire” to counteract potential GOP gains.
President Donald Trump is directly implicated in the Texas gerrymandering efforts, having publicly urged Governor Greg Abbott to pursue new maps to secure more House seats for Republicans.
Newsom’s plan, dubbed the “Election Rigging Response Act,” involves a November 4 special election for voters to approve a new congressional map, temporarily circumventing the state’s independent redistricting commission.
The overarching goal of these mid-decade redistricting efforts by both Republican and Democratic states is to gain or retain control of the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2026 midterm elections.
Texas Democratic lawmakers, who previously left the state to deny a quorum and block the Republican map, have signaled their readiness to return to Austin, with their conditions for return reportedly met by the planned actions in California and Texas.
Federal Border Patrol agents appeared at Governor Newsom’s redistricting rally in Los Angeles, an act that drew significant criticism from local Democratic officials who viewed it as an intimidation tactic.
Unique Highlights
The New York Times (Newsom’s Latest Statewide Campaign Is About Redistricting. And Donald Trump.) highlights the potential for Governor Newsom’s campaign to raise up to $100 million for an advertising blitz and notes the political risks involved, including being perceived as “undermining democracy to save democracy.” It also details opposition from original independent commission supporters like Charles Munger and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The New York Times (Newsom’s Latest Statewide Campaign Is About Redistricting. And Donald Trump.) also mentions that when asked for a response to Governor Newsom’s redistricting campaign, a White House official instead focused on “unrelated criticisms of the governor.”
The New York Times (Border Patrol Agents Show Up in Force at Newsom Rally) provides a direct quote from Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino, who stated, “We’re here making Los Angeles a safer place, since we don’t have politicians who can do that. We do that ourselves,” regarding the agents' presence at Governor Newsom’s rally.
CNN (Texas Democrats signal they are ready to end redistricting standoff and return to state) reports that former President Barack Obama joined a virtual call with the Texas Democratic caucus to express his appreciation for their fight.
The Washington Post (After evading police and threats, Texas lawmakers prepare their return) provides extensive details on the harassment, threats (including death threats and bomb threats), publicizing of home addresses, and surveillance faced by Texas Democrats and their families during their walkout. It mentions specific instances like unsolicited pizza deliveries, police visits to homes, a lawmaker hiring 24-hour private security, and a Republican lawmaker’s family also receiving threats. It also cites a sociologist on the “red meat” rhetoric.
The Washington Post (California pushes left, Texas to the right, with US House control and Trump agenda in play) notes that Missouri’s state Senate received a $46,000 invoice to activate redistricting software licenses and provide training, indicating broader state interest in similar efforts.
NBC News (Gov. Gavin Newsom calls for a special election to allow for a new congressional map in California) provides specific seat numbers for Texas, stating that Republicans currently hold 25 of Texas' 38 congressional seats, President Trump won 27 of those districts in the last election, and the new Republican-drawn maps would make 30 of those seats Trump-voting. It also highlights that New York’s process for changing maps is more arduous, potentially delaying changes until 2028 at the earliest.
The Wall Street Journal (Gavin Newsom Lays Out California Redistricting Plan to Counter Texas Republicans) quotes Corrin Rankin, chairwoman of the California Republican Party, who calls Governor Newsom’s plan “a calculated power grab” and an attempt to “dismantle voter safety guards.”
Contrasting Details
Justification for Border Patrol Presence:
The New York Times and NBC News report that Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and California Democrats expressed outrage, viewing the Border Patrol presence at Governor Newsom’s rally as politically motivated and an intimidation tactic, with Sara Sadhwani stating President Trump is “turning our cities into police states.”
In contrast, The New York Times, NBC News, and The Wall Street Journal cite Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin, who stated that “Our law enforcement operations are about enforcing the law—not about Gavin Newsom,” and that Customs and Border Protection patrols Los Angeles daily for safety.
Fairness of Redistricting Efforts:
The Wall Street Journal states that Republicans have called their redistricting efforts “fair game and necessary to hold their national majority.”
Conversely, the same The Wall Street Journal article notes that Democrats have argued the new maps amount to “cheating.” Additionally, The New York Times quotes Democratic strategist Katie Merrill, who suggests Governor Newsom’s measure risks being seen as “hypocritical” and an attempt to “undermine democracy in order to save democracy.”
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