California will forge ahead with a plan to redraw its congressional district maps in a bid to give Democrats five more US House seats, a drastic move intended to neutralize a similar President Trump-backed effort underway by Texas Republicans.
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the anticipated measure in Los Angeles Thursday with a rally-like speech, where he ranted about supposed threats to democracy in America — despite support for his own redistricting plan falling across strictly partisan lines in the heavily blue state.
“We can’t stand back and watch this democracy disappear district by district all across the country,” Newsom said at the speech, confirming that state Democrats would soon officially declare a Nov. 4 special election to vote on the new maps.
Newsom’s plan mirrors a Trump-backed effort from Texas Gov. Greg Abbot to redraw its own congressional map and to try to win the state five more Republican US House seats — all of which is part of a wider play to help the GOP hold unto its slim 219-212 seat majority during the midterm elections.
Some Texas Democrats have left the state to avoid a vote on the matter, with the Trump administration even dispatching the FBI to bring the AWOL representatives back home.
Former president Barack Obama also waded into the debate, telling Texas Democrats on a video call that he “lauded their fight against the Republican efforts,” a spokesperson told ABC News.
“He made clear that they are part of a bigger effort to protect free and fair elections and commended them for inspiring others with their actions,” the spokesperson added.
Newsom said California’s redrawing won’t take effect unless Texas goes ahead with its own, but that he was ready to greenlight the plans if provoked.
“Donald Trump, you have poked the bear and we will punch back,” said Newsom, who has been seen as a top contender to lead the Democrats’ 2028 presidential ticket.
Texas’ restructuring first started after a federal court’s new ruling on the Voting Rights Act rendered some of the state’s districts illegal in June.
If Texas goes ahead with its plans and California follows, similar efforts could unfold across the country in other states and dramatically reshuffle congressional seating.
California’s new map proposals are expected to be unveiled Friday.
Newsom’s announcement — held at the Japanese American National Museum in LA’s Little Tokyo — took a shocking turn when about 100 armed federal agents showed up outside, apparently to carry out an immigration enforcement operation nearby, KTLA reported.
“Right outside, at this exact moment, dozens and dozens of ice agents,” said Newsom, flanked by Sens. Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla. “Donald Trump, you think it’s coincidental?”
The operation was led by US Border Patrol Sector Commander Gregory K. Bovino, who seemed to brush off those accusations and said at least one illegal immigrant was detained.
“Breaking the law is not coincidental,” he told NBC Los Angeles. “Breaking the law is breaking the law.”
With Post wires
