California Governor Gavin Newsom issued a fresh warning to President Donald Trump regarding his efforts to have Texas Republicans redraw congressional districts ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
“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,” Newsom wrote in a letter to Trump on Monday.
It comes after Republicans in Texas were set to approve new mid-decade congressional redistricting maps that would likely eliminate as many as five seats currently held by Democrats. Republicans backing the plan have argued that Democratic states have long since gerrymandered their districts to favor their party and shut out GOP voters, including California.
The move in Texas led dozens of Democrats to break protocol and abandon their state House seats to deprive the GOP majority of a quorum. Republicans in the state and around the country have blasted the Democrats for political cowardice and for also depriving Texans still suffering from recent storms the relief they need to rebuild.
