California governor proposes congressional redistricting if Texas redraws maps

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (CN) — California Governor Gavin Newsom on Friday blasted President Donald Trump’s plan to have Texas alter its congressional districts before the 2026 midterms, saying a stake must be placed in the heart of the federal administration to preserve democracy.

Standing alongside Texas lawmakers, Newsom said he’s considering changing the method California uses to draw its congressional districts — much like the push Trump gave to Texas Republicans to redraw their districts in hopes of picking up five seats in the November 2026 midterms.

The U.S. House of Representatives currently is controlled by a slim majority of Republicans, meaning seat pickups by either party could switch or help cement control.

On Friday, Newsom said the political landscape had changed, requiring California to change as well.

“If we don’t put a stake into the heart of this administration, there may not be an election in 2028,” Newsom said, adding moments later: “We take Donald Trump seriously when he talks about the 2028 election.”

Trump has flirted with the idea of staying president after his second term, though he’s also indicated he’s term-limited and must leave office in January 2029.

The governor argued that Trump’s administration seeks to return America to a pre-1960s version of itself, setting back advances for women and the LGBTQ+ community.

“Everything is at stake if we are not successful at taking back the House next year,” he added.

Newsom’s press conference came after he spoke with Texas legislators, who talked about the political situation in the Lone Star State.

Texas Representative Rafael Anchía, a Dallas-area Democrat, said that in every decade since the 1970s Texas has attempted to discriminate against people of color through the redistricting process. The plan floated in an upcoming special session of the Texas Legislature would dismantle minority districts.

“In trying to do this, it is going to cause great harm,” Anchía said.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s office couldn’t be reached for comment Friday.

In Republican-dominated Texas, the Legislature controls the redistricting process. In the Golden State, it’s an independent California Citizens Redistricting Commission.

Saying fire must be fought with fire, Newsom is considering changing how the state draws its congressional districts. However, he said any change is predicated on what Texas does.

“This is existential,” Newsom said. “This is a critical moment.”

There are different roads a change could take in the Golden State: The Legislature could redo the districts or the issue also could go before voters.

There are other options to consider as well, Newsom said. He questioned how any change would progress, noting voters could decide on finished maps or determine the process itself.

“We are committed to this process,” Newsom said. “[Voters] understand what’s at stake if they rig the game. [Republicans] play by a different set of rules.”

Contacted by Courthouse News, California Senate President pro Tem Mike McGuire said Republicans could see the writing on the wall.

“Voters are fed up with their agenda which literally takes health care away from millions, jacks up prices on everything from energy bills to groceries and their un-American attacks on immigrant communities will be remembered for generations,” McGuire said in a statement. “We will always be ready to protect our values and the integrity of our democracy.”

Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas’ office didn’t provide comment as of publication time.

The back-and-forth between Trump and Newsom isn’t new, though the rhetoric has increased in recent months. Newsom and other California Democrats rebuked Trump for federalizing the National Guard in the wake of Los Angeles protests last month over immigration enforcement.

On June 30, the federal government sued Los Angeles over its sanctuary city ordinance prohibiting local authorities from working with federal immigration officials.