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According to Newsweek, Newsom’s letter wasn’t exactly a surprise. The Democrat governor has been hinting for weeks that if Texas Republicans proceed, California will “respond in kind” by reworking its own districts — even though the state is already overwhelmingly dominated by Democrats.
In his warning, Newsom told Trump he was “playing with fire” and “risking the destabilization of our democracy.”
Democrats are only three seats away from reclaiming the U.S. House majority, with just a handful of competitive districts nationwide. That slim margin is why both sides are now fighting tooth and nail over district lines.
California Democrats are reportedly considering ways to redraw their congressional map to lock in even more seats for their party. The problem? They would need voter approval to overturn the maps created by the state’s “independent” redistricting commission — a system Democrats claim to support, except when it doesn’t work in their favor.
Trump’s push in Texas, according to Democrats, is simply an attempt to cement Republican control in the House. But many Republicans point out the hypocrisy — after all, Democrats had no problem flipping control in 2018 and using their power to launch endless investigations into Trump, impeaching him twice on flimsy, politically motivated charges.
In his letter, Newsom claimed to support the idea of independent commissions setting district boundaries instead of partisan legislatures. But then he added, “California cannot stand idly by as this power grab unfolds.”
He also dangled a deal: “If Texas and the other states call off their redistricting efforts, we will happily do the same. And American democracy will be better for it.”
Texas Governor Greg Abbott wasn’t impressed. Speaking to CNN, Abbott fired back: “If California tries to gerrymander five more districts, listen, Texas has the ability to eliminate ten Democrats in our state. We can play that game more than they can because they have fewer Republican districts in their states.”
Meanwhile, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has taken the fight to the courts. Paxton has filed a lawsuit with the state Supreme Court to officially declare 13 Texas House seats vacant after Democrat legislators abandoned their posts.
“The rogue Democrat legislators who fled the state have abandoned their duties, leaving their seats vacant,” Paxton said. “These cowards deliberately sabotaged the constitutional process and violated the oath they swore to uphold. Their out-of-state rebellion cannot go unchecked, and the business of Texas must go on. I have asked the Texas Supreme Court to declare what has been clear from the beginning: that the runaway members have officially vacated their offices in the Texas House.”
The standoff between red and blue states is only heating up — and with the 2026 midterms on the horizon, neither side appears ready to back down.
