After Republican political leaders in Texas advanced a mid-decade redistricting plan to create up to five additional Republican congressional seats ahead of the 2026 midterms, California Democratic lawmakers are exploring the possibility of doing their own redistricting plan to counter Texas.
President Donald Trump told reporters that he is determined to have Texas deliver five Republican congressional seats as part of his broader GOP strategy to preserve his party’s majority in the House.
Texas House Democrats staged a two‑week walkout to block the passage of the maps but returned after California launched its own counter‑proposal, enabling Republicans to push the plan forward.
In California, Governor Gavin Newsom and Democratic legislators quickly moved to draft a legislative redistricting plan aimed at flipping up to five Democratic seats in the U.S. House. This proposal would temporarily suspend the independent redistricting commission, placing authority back with the legislature until 2030, but revert afterward. A special election is slated for November to let voters decide on the plan.
This tit-for‑tat redistricting showdown may significantly shape control of Congress after the midterms. If both states succeed, each could shift seats toward its respective party, potentially swinging the House majority either way.
Guest:
Laura Fitzgerald is the state politics reporter at Sacramento's Cap Radio/NPR Station.
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This interview will air live on Wednesday, August 20, 2025.
