California launches redistricting fight to ‘nullify’ Texas GOP plan, with Dems poised to gain 5 seat

[mystery-ak]

California launches redistricting fight to ‘nullify’ Texas GOP plan, with Dems poised to gain 5 seats
The governor says Democrats have until Aug. 22 to get ballot measure approved by voters
By Michael Dorgan Fox News
Published August 9, 2025 8:20am EDT

As the controversy surrounding Texas’s redistricting efforts still rages, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced Friday that the Golden State will move forward with a plan for a special election in early November to place its own redistricting plan on a ballot measure before voters.

Newsom said the move was a counterpunch to Texas and was being done in a transparent fashion, but would also likely see Democrats pick up five seats if the measure is adopted. The plan would allow Democrats to temporarily bypass the state’s independent redistricting commission and adopt a new congressional map ahead of the 2026 elections.

"We are talking about emergency measures to respond to what’s happening in Texas and we will nullify what happens in Texas," Newsom said at a Friday press conference flanked by several California lawmakers and some Texas Democrats who fled their state.

"We’ll pick up five seats with the consent of the people. And that’s the difference between the approach we’re taking and the approach they’re taking," Newsom continued. "We’re doing it on a temporary basis. We’re doing it in a fully transparent way and we’re doing it by asking the people of the state of California for their consent and support."

California would be the first Democratic-led state to actively begin the process of passing new congressional district lines ahead of the 2026 midterms in response to Texas’s redistricting push.

Newsom said Democrats have until Aug. 22 to get the measure on the ballot and he railed against President Donald Trump and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in justifying the move.

"Greg Abbott, who doesn't have the courage, doesn't have the backbone, doesn't have a conscience of the consequences of his actions... is dialing now for new seats," Newsom said Friday, referring to the Texas governor’s push for a mid-decade redistricting map and a call with President Trump.

"[Trump’s] agenda is failing. His presidency has failed. He knows the headwinds in a midterm. He's dialing for seats now."

more
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/california-launches-redistricting-fight-nullify-texas-gop-plan-dems-poised-gain-5-seats

[Smokin Joe]

"[Trump’s] agenda is failing. His presidency has failed. He knows the headwinds in a midterm. He's dialing for seats now."

Oh, great swami, who is going to be then next Triple Crown winner?

(If they're going to make wilda$$ed predictions, I want something I can make a few bucks on.)

Trump's term is barely out of the gate, at 7 months (and a bit) in. Maybe it seems like four years to the prevaricating Democrats who have been suffering the loss of the public's suspension of disbelief, not to mention the valves getting closed on their taxpayer funding pipeline, and the increased awareness of what they were up to with the illegal invasion, and with so many looking for actually productive work, and suffering the consequences of what they voted for (good and hard!), well, maybe for them it seems like four years have passed, but we are not even one fourth of the way there.

It is kind of refreshing to see the GOP be a mite proactive in advance of the midterms, good to see a little fight.

Now, lets see more!

[andy58-in-nh]

Gavin Newsom is full of it.

California's congressional delegation is already grossly rigged against Republicans. The present California House delegation contains only 9 Republicans out of 52 members - 17.3%.

The current composition of the electorate in California is roughly 46% Democrat, 25% Republican and 18% Independent. (source = Public Policy Institute of California)

If the current delegation were to lose 5 GOP representatives, that would leave them with only 4 GOP House members - 7.7% of the total (as opposed to 48 members, or 92.3% for the Democrats).

[Fishrrman]

A Fishrrman "totally off-the-wall™" prediction:

Texas Republicans won't succeed in creating new districts to increase the number of Pubbies reps from their state,
BUT...
California WILL putsch through redistricting and pick up an extra 4-5 d-communist seats.

Wait and see...
The Republicans usually give in at some point and quit.
But not the d-coms...

I'll be happy if proven wrong, but that's my guess as to what's going to happen.

[mystery-ak]

 Abbott: Texas can ‘eliminate’ 10 Democratic districts in response to California
by Caroline Vakil - 08/11/25 6:01 PM ET

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) warned that Texas could get rid of as many as 10 Democratic districts if California moves ahead with its plan to redraw its House map and neutralize the expected GOP gains in the Lone Star State.

“Listen, all those big blue states, they’ve already gerrymandered,” Abbott told CNN’s Jake Tapper on Monday, when asked if he was concerned about a redistricting arms race as Texas moves forward to create new congressional lines.

“Look at the map of Illinois. Look at the map of California, New York and Massachusetts, and so many other blue states they gerrymandered a long time ago. They got nothing left with regard to what they can do,” Abbott said. “And know this: If California tries to gerrymander, find more districts, listen, Texas has the ability to eliminate 10 Democrats in our state.”

Abbott’s remarks underscore how Republicans plan to be as aggressive as possible in trying to knock off as many Democratic seats as they can. Right now, the state has 25 House Republicans and 12 Democrats, in addition to one vacancy waiting to be filled after the late Rep. Sylvester Turner (D-Texas) died in March.

more
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5447180-texas-gop-redistricting-threat/