California Governor Gavin Newsom has threatened to push through a mid-decade redraw of the state’s congressional map unless President Donald Trump backs away from a Texas redistricting plan that could grant Republicans up to five additional U.S. House seats. In an Aug. 11 letter, Newsom warned Trump he had 24 hours to halt the Texas effort, then amplified the ultimatum in a series of all-caps posts that mimicked the former president’s social-media style. Under the proposal outlined by Newsom and House Democrat Zoe Lofgren, state lawmakers would place new district lines on a 4 November 2025 special-election ballot. Draft maps—expected by 15 August—aim to eliminate as many as five of California’s nine Republican-held seats, including those of Representatives Doug LaMalfa, Kevin Kiley, David Valadao, Ken Calvert and Darrell Issa. The legislature must approve the ballot measure by a two-thirds vote by 22 August and temporarily suspend California’s independent redistricting commission; control would revert to the commission after the 2030 census, and the new lines would take effect only if Texas or another state completes a mid-decade redraw. The move has opened a legal and political front in the national fight for House control. Critics ranging from the League of Women Voters to former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger say the plan undercuts reforms voters passed in 2008 and 2010, while Republicans are preparing lawsuits. County officials have yet to tally the cost of a statewide vote, but the 2021 gubernatorial recall surpassed $200 million—a figure expected to rise amid persistent budget deficits.