California Governor Gavin Newsom on Thursday signed a sweeping redistricting proposal aimed at redrawing the state’s congressional boundaries to create five new Democratic US House seats. The move is a direct response to the gerrymandered maps Republicans in Texas are advancing, which Newsom described as a threat to democracy.
The Democratic-controlled state legislature voted to advance the legislative package after hours of debate. With Newsom’s signature, the measure now heads to voters in a special election this November. The plan is designed to flip as many as five Republican-held seats in California, mirroring the number of additional GOP seats President Donald Trump has said Texas is “entitled to”.
“They fired the first shot in Texas,” Newsom said at a signing ceremony surrounded by Democratic lawmakers. “When all things are equal, when we’re all playing by the same set of rules, there’s no question that the Republican party will be the minority party in the House of Representatives next year.”
California Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, a Democrat, added: “We will not let our political system be hijacked by authoritarianism. And today, we give every Californian the power to say no. To say no to Donald Trump’s power grab and yes to our people, to our state and to our democracy.”
The legislative package, which includes the proposed congressional map, a constitutional amendment and funding for the special election, was approved after both chambers volleyed it back and forth. The Texas Senate is expected to pass its own Republican-drawn maps this week, following a dramatic showdown that saw Democratic lawmakers boycott proceedings for two weeks.
California Republicans opposed the plan, with Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher warning: “The problem when you fight fire with fire is you burn it all down.” Initially, the California measure included a trigger clause that would only activate it in response to a Texas gerrymander, but that was removed after Texas moved ahead.
