Aug 11, 10:46 PM

Newsom Urges Trump to Stop GOP Gerrymanders; Abbott Threatens 10-Seat Reply

California Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday sent President Donald Trump a letter urging him to tell Republican-led states, particularly Texas, to abandon mid-decade plans to redraw congressional maps. Newsom said the proposed maps could give the GOP at least five additional U.S. House seats ahead of the 2026 midterms and warned that the effort was “risking the destabilization of our democracy.” He offered to scrap any counter-mapping in California if red states halted their drives. If Trump does not intervene, Newsom wrote, he will seek legislation and a November special election that would temporarily transfer mapping power from California’s independent commission to the Democratic-controlled Legislature, potentially redrawing up to five Republican-held districts. The governor framed the move as a defensive measure to “neutralize” Republican gains elsewhere. Texas Governor Greg Abbott quickly dismissed the demand, saying his state could go beyond its current five-seat proposal and “eliminate 10 Democrats” if California proceeds. In a CBS News Texas interview, Abbott said Republicans are reviewing options for as many as three additional pickups on top of the five already under discussion, arguing that blue states have long maximized partisan advantage in their own maps. The escalating rhetoric underscores a budding interstate arms race over gerrymandering, a tactic usually confined to post-census cycles. With Republicans holding a narrow 219-212 majority in the U.S. House, both parties are weighing aggressive mid-decade map changes that could face court challenges and further strain the nation’s patchwork redistricting rules. The White House has not responded to Newsom’s letter.