Texas is about to have new congressional maps for 2026. It will net Republicans five more seats, supposedly, which is why Democrats fled the state to prevent a quorum in the legislature. They vowed to remain in exile for as long as it took. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott wasn’t budging, saying he’d call special sessions until the new map was passed.
It only lasted 15 days. The irony is that some of these Texas Democrats fled to Illinois, a mega-gerrymandered state that favors Democrats. These exiled lawmakers returned only when California promised to push through their new maps (via CBS News):
Democrats unveiled a proposal Friday that could give California's dominant political party an additional five U.S. House seats in a bid to win the fight to control Congress next year.
The plan calls for an unusually timed reshaping of House district lines to greatly strengthen the Democratic advantage in the state ahead of midterm elections, when Republicans will be defending the party's fragile House majority.
It amounts to a counterpunch to the Texas Republicans' plan to take five Democratically held seats and redraw them to favor the GOP at the urging of President Trump as he tries to avoid losing control of Congress and, with it, prospects for his conservative agenda in the later part of his term.
The California effort seeks to take five of the state's nine GOP districts and make them more favorable to Democrats. Just like in Texas, however, it is by no means a guarantee that Democrats would win all five of these seats if a new California map becomes law.
Making the shift would likely require an amendment to California's state Constitution. Overhauling the current map that is in law would need to be passed by a two-thirds vote in both the state Assembly and state Senate, and then be approved by California voters in an election.
But who drew the maps? It’s a simple question. California State Senate Elections Committee Chair Sabrina Cervantes served up a near-four-minute word salad trying to answer that inquiry, repeating how this process is transparent like a robot.
Democrats in Assembly Elections Committee say legislative leaders drew CA’s new congressional maps.
— Ashley Zavala (@ZavalaA) August 20, 2025
But the Democratic Majority Leader says she did not.
Still unclear who specifically is in control of the maps. https://t.co/BR7bpdM2jV
Truly fascinating video in which the California State Senator overseeing the effort to do redistricting in the state refuses for nearly four minutes to say who actually drew the congressional maps while claiming that it's a "transparent process."pic.twitter.com/1dciRWfyeg
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) August 20, 2025
California Assembly Elections Chair Gail Pellerin had an even worse answer, virtually admitting that she didn’t know, opting to drop a line about not wanting to see the chef when she goes out to eat.
"When I go to a restaurant, I don't need to meet the chef."
— Ashley Zavala (@ZavalaA) August 19, 2025
Here's how California Assembly Elections Chair Gail Pellerin responded to repeated questions about who is responsible for CA's proposed Congressional maps.
CALeg Democratic leaders refuse to say who exactly. pic.twitter.com/XkJyWY8b4d
Again, no one cares if California does this. Gerrymandering is legal; both red states and blue states engage in it. But if a redistricting war breaks out nationwide, Republicans still win.
