With Texas Governor Greg Abbott heeding the calls from President Trump to redistrict Texas's congressional map to hold on to the Republican controlled House of Representatives, California Governor Gavin Newsom discussed doing the same at a press conference on Thursday.
He said that in response to Governor Abbott, “a special election would be called, likely to be the first week of November,” to redraw the congressional map in California.
California’s congressional lines are drawn by an independent commission, the California Citizens Redistricting Commission. Back in 2008, this reform was approved by voters to take the process out of politicians’ hands. But now, in a special election, Gavin Newsom wants to undo that. He’s asking voters to hand redistricting power back to the partisans. “We will go to the people of this state in a transparent way and ask them to consider the new circumstances, to consider these new realities,” he said.
“They’re doing a midterm rejection of objectivity and independence, an act that we could criticize from the sideline, or an act that we can respond to in kind – fight fire with fire,” Newsom continued.
Newsom also said that Texas may not be the only Republican state to redistrict. “And it won’t just happen in Texas. I imagine he’s making similar calls all across this country. It’s a big deal. I don’t think it gets much bigger.” Ohio has to redraw its congressional map ahead of 2026, and Republicans are eyeing new advantages in Missouri and Indiana as well.
This effort is likely to be extremely expensive and "politically perilous," according to Politico. Newsom would be betting everything on anti-Trump sentiment being strong enough to convince voters to hand redistricting power back to the politicians, for openly partisan purposes. He and his allies would have to raise massive amounts of money fast, just to educate and turn out voters in time. And while national Democratic groups might line up behind him, Trump and the right would have every reason to jump in and make an example out of Newsom and the Democrat Party.
Steve Hilton, a Fox News contributor, argued that Newsom is not responding to Texas but is furthering his bid as the Democratic candidate for the Presidency in 2028.
Gavin Newsom is trying to steal five House seats from Republicans so Democrats can flip the House and impeach President Trump.
— steve hilton (@SteveHiltonx) August 3, 2025
This is not about Texas. It's about Newsom's presidential ambitions.
I will not let it happen. Next week I will be laying out a plan to stop Newsom. pic.twitter.com/2Rc70MxWHO
Newsom can not achieve his aims unilaterally. To get the measure on a ballot, two-thirds of both Houses of the state legislature would have to approve. California does hold supermajorities in both its House and Senate.
Originally, Gavin Newsom floated having the State Legislature simply redraw the maps, circumventing the independent commission and the voters who enshrined it. He backed away from that option during his Thursday press conference.
“We’re not here to eliminate the [independent redistricting] commission. We’re here to provide a pathway in ’26, ’28, and in 2030 for congressional maps on the basis of a response to the rigging of the system of the president of the United States,” he said.
Newsom says he’s responding to Trump. His critics say he’s laying the groundwork for 2028. Either way, he’s asking Californians to trade independence for partisanship, and to do it fast. What started as a state-level reform fight may now turn into the next national proxy war.