Governor Gavin Newsom of California has made it clear that state Democratic legislators are moving ahead with a new redistricting plan aimed at tackling the Republican-led map-drawing efforts happening in Texas. This initiative is crucial as it seeks to secure a Democratic edge during the upcoming House elections.
Newsom made this announcement at the Japanese American National Museum’s National Center for the Preservation of Democracy, a location chosen for its significant meaning. While he spoke, there was an unexpected show of federal agents, who were heavily armed and masked, appearing on the scene, commanded by Gregory Bovino from the El Centro sector of the border patrol. Local news highlights captured a moment when a man was taken away in handcuffs.
At the rally, alongside congressional Democrats and legislative leaders, Newsom revealed what he d the “election rigging response act.” This pivotal legislation would essentially bypass California’s independent redistricting commission and authorize the creation of new congressional districts. This move directly counters an initiative from Texas, backed by Donald Trump, which boasts the potential to grant Republicans five additional House seats. Newsom asserted that his plan is designed to “neuter and neutralize” the threat posed by Texas.
As part of his appeal to residents, he declared that the day marked a victory for California. Newsom has called for a special election on November 4 to endorse the new congressional map. He stated, “We cannot stand idly by as this democracy fades away, district by district, all across America.”
After the rally, he criticized the border patrol’s presence as “sick and pathetic,” going so far as to accuse Trump of orchestrating the operation to intimidate Democrats. “Wake up, America,” he cautioned. “You will not have a nation if he manipulates this election.”
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, a Democrat not present at the event, also condemned the actions of the federal agents. In a statement to the press, she asserted that the timing of the raid was no accident and accused the White House of sending agents to intimidate elected officials. She emphasized, “Los Angeles doesn’t get frightened and doesn’t back down. We never have, and we never will.”
The Department of Homeland Security rebutted Mayor Bass’s claims, stating she might be “misinformed.” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin emphasized that their law enforcement efforts focus on maintaining public safety rather than targeting Newsom.
California’s newly proposed map would take effect contingent upon any Republican-led state, including Texas, advancing their partisan redistricting plans. Newsom has previously expressed his preference for states to adopt nonpartisan commissions, similar to California’s, and indicated he would step aside if Texas decided to drop its endeavor.
Earlier during the day, a group of Texas Democrats, who previously blocked a legislative vote by leaving the state, revealed they might soon end their walkout upon the announcement of California’s revised maps. Should they return, it would enable Republicans to proceed unhindered. Realizing this dynamic, Newsom stated that California, whose population surpasses that of 21 smaller states combined, would not allow itself to be a passive victim.
“It’s not that difficult to understand,” he noted. “We’re reacting to a president who literally called the governor of Texas and said, ‘Find me five seats.’”
In a recent interview, Trump claimed that Republicans in Texas deserve five additional House seats due to his decisive victory in the state during the last presidential election.
Newsom indicated that the new congressional map would extend through the 2030 elections, after which control would revert back to the independent redistricting commission established a decade ago. He assured that the Democratic-controlled legislature would draft legislation on Monday to kickstart the proposal and expressed confidence that it would s d in the forthcoming November vote.
California, which currently holds 52 House seats — with 43 in Democratic hands — is now facing fierce competitive races that played a crucial role in helping the Republicans gain a house majority back in 2024.
Polls suggest that voters in California largely favor the independent redistricting commission, implying that Democrats will need to hustle to gain voter approval for their plan over the next three months.
Sara Sadhwani, a Democrat and former member of California’s 2020 independent redistricting commission, emphasized her desire for the abolition of gerrymandering nationwide. Yet, at the Los Angeles rally, she stood confidently beside Newsom and other lawmakers, endorsing the overhaul of the very maps they helped design. “Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures,” she emphasized.
The reform group Common Cause, which has long opposed partisan drawing of maps, stated this week that it wouldn’t oppose the California initiative to redraw its maps in light of Texas’s blatant partisanship. “To criticize such efforts at this moment would mean sitting idly by amidst authoritarianism,” the group stated.
Eric Holder, the former Attorney General and Chair of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, also weighed in, supporting proactive measures in response to Trump’s extreme actions regarding redistricting in Texas and beyond. He maintained, “Our democracy is facing attacks; we must do what is necessary to protect it.”
Republicans have taken a stand against California’s proposal, dismissing it as “yet another spectacle by Gavin Newsom meant to solidify extreme Democratic power.” According to Christian Martinez, spokesperson for the National Republican Congressional Committee, Newsom is undermining the wishes of California voters in pursuit of his perceived presidential aspirations for 2028.
During the Los Angeles event, most of the audience showed no compassion for the California Republicans who would face the possibility of losing their jobs should this redistricting scheme prove effective. Jodi Hicks, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, addressed the assembly with a poignant message directed at nine Republican members: “If you strip away our rights, we will strip away your positions.”
The ongoing pursuit by Texas for new maps has ignited a nationwide ‘‘redistricting arms race,’’ with similar legislative efforts being considered in states like Florida, Missouri, and even in traditionally Democrat-leaning New York and Illinois. “Other blue states need to rise to the occasion,” Newsom added.
The campaign, which has launched a new website, is expected to be costly and will likely garner widespread attention and financial backing due to its high-stakes, off-year political implications. Former parallel Republican California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, an advocate of independent redistricting processes, has expressed his opposition. Although Newsom shared a conversation with Schwarzenegger regarding their shared disdain for gerrymandering, he stands firm that the defense of American democracy is the priority.
“It’s insufficient to merely gather our thoughts, reflect with a peaceful vigil, and muse about how things ought to be,” Newsom concluded. “We need to acknowledge the challenges laid out before us and respond in a manner commensurate with the adversity we face.”
