California Governor Gavin Newsom escalated his feud with Texas Republicans this week after the Texas House of Representatives approved a redistricting plan expected to give the GOP five additional U.S. House seats.
The dispute began in early August, when Texas Democrats repeatedly broke quorum to block the Republican redistricting measure.
For six sessions, the Texas House failed to reach the minimum of 100 lawmakers needed to proceed, with only 95 present at one point. Their absence delayed the process for weeks.
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Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton threatened Democrats with arrest and removal from office if they continued to avoid returning to the state Capitol.
After two weeks, Democrats returned, allowing the chamber to resume business.
On Wednesday, the Texas House passed the new congressional redistricting bill in an 88–52 vote along party lines.
The plan strengthens Republican control of the state’s congressional delegation, expanding the GOP’s potential share from 25 seats to 30 of the state’s 38 seats.
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Governor Newsom lashed out at the Texas plan during an appearance on The Siren podcast, using heated language to describe the vote.
“This is radical rigging of a midterm election,” Newsom said.
“Radical rigging of an election. Destroying, vandalizing this democracy, the rule of law. So, I’m sorry. I know some people’s sensibilities. I respect and appreciate that. But right now, with all due respect, we’re walking down a damn different path. We’re fighting fire with fire. And we’re gonna punch these sons of bitches in the mouth.”
Gavin Newsom: “This is radical rigging of a midterm election. Destroying, vandalizing this democracy, the rule of law. Right now we’re fighting fire with fire. We’re gonna punch these sons of bitches in the mouth.” pic.twitter.com/4NERCPKfqA
— Marco Foster (@MarcoFoster_) August 20, 2025
One day later, Newsom signed off on California’s own redistricting plan after both chambers of the state legislature approved the measure.
The new congressional map is expected to eliminate five Republican-held seats in California, a move that Democrats say will counterbalance the advantage Republicans gained in Texas.
The clash underscores the growing national battle between Democrats and Republicans over the control of congressional districts ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
With the House of Representatives closely divided, even small shifts in district maps could have a significant impact on which party holds the majority after November.
California’s move represents one of the most aggressive steps by Democrats to directly counter Republican gains in redistricting battles across the country.
Texas Republicans defended their map as a fair reflection of the state’s population growth and demographic shifts, while Democrats accused them of partisan gerrymandering designed to lock in GOP control.
The two states, which represent the nation’s largest Democratic and Republican strongholds, have now taken opposite but equally aggressive approaches to shaping their congressional delegations.
Newsom’s approval of the California map came less than 24 hours after his comments targeting Texas lawmakers, signaling a direct response to Wednesday’s vote in Austin.
With both states finalizing their new maps, the redistricting fight is expected to intensify in court, where challenges from both parties are likely to play out over the coming months.
As the legal and political battles continue, the decisions in Texas and California will shape the 2026 midterm landscape and could play a key role in determining control of the House of Representatives.