Texas and California clash in battle over Congressional redivision

In the Texas and California Legislatures this week, Republicans and Democrats voted a major vote in the high-stakes battle against Congress’ re-divided ahead of next year’s midterm elections.

In Austin, Texas, the Republican House of Representatives resumed Wednesday and held a convening of conservative Republicans at the second special session. Governor Greg Abbott.

At the top of their to-do list when they return to work is a re-divided map made by the Republican Party that will create up to five Republican congressional districts, at the expense of seats currently controlled by the Democrats. Republicans currently control 25 of the state’s 38 U.S. House seats.

“Please go through this map as soon as possible. Thanks Texas.” Donald Trump wrote in a social media post on Monday.

Redistribute the fight: Flee from Texas Democrats to return home

The Republican push in Texas at Trump’s urging is part of a broader effort by the Republican Party across the country to maintain control of the rooms by razor thin house majority in mid-2026, when the parties in power traditionally faced political headwinds and failed seats.

Trump and his political team aim to prevent what happened during his first term in the White House, when Democrats stormed the House majority in the 2018 midterm elections.

Republicans are Texas Red State In the first special legislative session last week, enjoying super contributions in the legislature, the state Senate passed a new congressional map.

Texas Speaker vowed to get out of control to arrest if they try to sneak home on weekends

But dozens of Texas Democratic delegates fled the state to prevent a quorum in the Texas House of Representatives, effectively preventing Abbott and Republicans from moving forward with a new map.

Many Democrats fleeing the state returned Monday and followed the House of Representatives to the state Capitol. When they arrived, they cheered for their supporters.

Supporters of the return Texas Democrats shouted as they entered the House on Monday, August 18, 2025 at the Texas Capitol in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Stephen Spillman))

But with Republicans exceeding 88-62 in the state legislature, the new map is expected to pass on Wednesday.

“Let me also know where we go from here. We’re waiting, we have a quorum. Now is the time to take action,” Republican Texas Speaker Dustin Burrows said Monday.

During the strike, Abbott and Republican state attorney Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit in an attempt to evacuate some absent Democratic lawmakers from the office. Meanwhile, Republican Senator John Cornyn worked to get help from the FBI to track down AWOL members. Burrows issued a civil warrant and promised to fine lawmakers $500 a day.

Fleeing Democrats have set up camps in blue states in Illinois, New York and Massachusetts, saying last weekend they will return to Texas after the first special session adjoining, after Democrats Gov. Gavin Newsom Other Democrats in other California have launched their scripts to deal with a rare (but not unheard of) push by Trump and Republicans in the mid-congressional period.

The end of the Democratic strike will lead to the passage of a new map, but Texas Democrats vowed that they will fight the new state map in court, saying California Mobile Allow them to pass the “baton”.

California unveils new Congressional map to eliminate five Republican-controlled seats and fight back against Trump

While Republicans have not faced constitutional restrictions on subverting the current Congressional map in Texas, the news agency’s path in California is much more complex.

The governor will hold a special election this year to get voter approval to eliminate the constitutional amendment that constitutes the non-partisan redivision committee. Holding a referendum will require a two-thirds majority vote for the Democratic-led California Legislature.

Sacramento’s Democratic Party announced a bill Monday to hold a referendum.

California Parliament President Robert Rivas announced a legislative package at a press conference in Sacramento, California on Monday, August 18, 2025 to promote partisan efforts to re-improve the California Congress map. （AP Photo/Tran Nguyen）

“California and Californians are unique goals of the Trump administration and we won’t be idle when they order Texas and other states to drive the next election to maintain power,” Newsom said in a statement Monday.

The Democratic legislature is expected to approve the referendum on Thursday. The Democratic unveiled map will create up to five left-leaning congressional districts at the expense of California’s blue Republican minority.

“Here, we are in the open position before we have a vote in the 2026 midterm elections [Trump] Newsom charged Thursday.

Newsom, which was considered a possible contender for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination, was also a fundraising campaign to raise a lot of campaign cash to sell re-divisions statewide in California.

California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom spoke at a congressional redivision event in Los Angeles on August 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

According to public opinion polls, the nonpartisan redistricting committee was formed 15 years ago and remains popular among most Californians.

That’s why Newsom and California Democratic lawmakers promised not to completely abolish the committee, but instead to temporarily replace the next three election cycles by the legislature.

But former Republican speaker of the House Kevin McCarthyHe has represented a congressional district in the Central Valley of California for 17 years, and he argued in Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Future,” “When you think about how they draw these lines, there is no hearing.

McCarthy, who is helping lead the Republican fundraiser to oppose the press agency and the California Democrats’ efforts to hold a referendum this fall, said: “November 4 will be an election where people can actually comment,” noting that the polls show strong support for the current non-partisan non-partisan recruitment committee.

A handful of California Republican state lawmakers filed a lawsuit in the state Supreme Court on Tuesday to stop the proposed redistricting reform.

The push to temporarily replace the committee has also been objected by other high-profile Republicans. The most obvious one is the former government. Arnold Schwarzenegger, The Republican governor of California, which was dominated by Democrats for the last time.

Hollywood movie star and former Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger opposes the push for a nonpartisan redistribution committee that temporarily replaces the Golden State. (Tristar Media/Wireimage)

The longtime Hollywood action star said he mobilized opposition to Newsom’s push to temporarily repeal the state’s nonpartisan redivision committee.

“I’m preparing for a fight in the competition,” Schwarzenegger wrote in a social media post on Friday, including a photo of a former professional bodybuilding champion lifting weights.

Schwarzenegger became the star of the movie The Terminator forty years ago, playing a T-shirt In the photo That is to say, “the cavalry was terminated.”

Schwarzenegger spokesman Daniel Ketchell told Politico earlier this month “He calls it evil evil, and he means. He thinks it is true evil that politicians seize power from people.”

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Kechel added: “He’s against what Texas does, he’s against the idea that California will race to the bottom to do the same.”

During his tenure as governor, Schwarzenegger played the lead role in California’s constitutional amendments in 2008 and 2010, a role that granted the power to attract state legislation and congressional areas from politicians and put it in the hands of the independent committee.