Former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said he is "getting ready for the gerrymandering battle," vowing to fight Governor Gavin Newsom’s plan to suspend the state’s independent redistricting commission and redraw congressional boundaries before the 2026 midterms. Schwarzenegger, who championed the creation of the commission through 2008 and 2010 ballot measures, posted a photo on 15 Aug. lifting weights in a T-shirt reading “terminate gerrymandering,” signaling he will lead the campaign against the proposal. Newsom unveiled his redistricting initiative on 14 Aug. in Los Angeles, arguing that California must “meet fire with fire” after a Trump-backed effort in Texas to create as many as five new Republican districts. The governor wants lawmakers to place a constitutional amendment on the November 2025 ballot that would let the Legislature draw new maps for the next three election cycles, a move analysts say could add up to five Democratic-leaning seats in the U.S. House. The measure needs a two-thirds vote in the Democratic-controlled Legislature to proceed. Opposition forces are already coalescing. Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is organizing a campaign he says will raise more than $100 million to preserve the commission; philanthropist Charles Munger Jr. has pledged an additional $30 million. Public polling shows the non-partisan commission remains broadly popular with voters, creating a potentially costly fight if the referendum reaches the ballot. The clash has implications beyond California. Former President Donald Trump, whose allies are driving the Texas effort, labeled Newsom “one of the worst governors in history,” underscoring the partisan stakes as both parties maneuver for advantage ahead of the 2026 midterms and Newsom positions himself for a possible 2028 presidential bid.