Amid escalating pressure for their return, half a dozen Democratic lawmakers from Texas, who previously fled the state to impede a Republican-led redistricting scheme, made their way to Sacramento on Friday. Their mission? To advocate for California’s retaliatory measures against the Texas GOP's plans. The Texas delegation gathered at the historic Governor’s Mansion, standing alongside Governor Gavin Newsom, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and key legislative leaders, all of whom publicly endorsed Newsom’s proposal to redraw California’s congressional lines to favor Democrats.
“We are here because we do know that courage is contagious,” stated Texas state Rep. Ann Johnson. “We are here to give hope to others to stand up and be courageous in this moment.” This gathering highlighted the unity among the nearly entire Democratic caucus of the Texas Legislature, who left the state earlier this week to deny Republicans a quorum, thereby stalling their redistricting proposal.
The Republican plan, reportedly at the request of former President Donald Trump, aims to protect a narrow GOP majority in the U.S. House of Representatives and could potentially flip five Democratic-held seats. The timeframe for the Democrats to maintain this strategy remains uncertain, as GOP leaders are demanding their return. Civil arrest warrants have been issued for the missing lawmakers, who face fines of $500 for each day they are absent, while the FBI is also involved in efforts to locate them. Furthermore, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has initiated legal action to expel 13 of these lawmakers from office.
This marks the second occasion in just two weeks that Governor Newsom has hosted Texas Democratic legislators at the Governor's Mansion, as he aims to rally public support for his redistricting plan. Newsom intends to call for a special election on November 4, seeking to replace congressional district lines established by the state’s independent commission with a new map designed to benefit Democrats. Initial internal polling, shared privately with state lawmakers, revealed a slim majority of 52% of California voters support the proposal—sufficient for a win in November but potentially vulnerable to a competitive fall campaign.
“I think the voters will approve it. I think the voters understand what’s at stake,” Newsom expressed on Friday. “We live in the most un-Trump state in America.”
With the clock ticking towards an August 22 statutory deadline for the November special election, California can no longer wait for Texas to act. Democratic leaders in California are currently finalizing the language and district lines for their proposal, which the Legislature is expected to address as soon as it reconvenes from summer recess on August 18. Newsom has indicated that the California redistricting measure will incorporate trigger language, ensuring the new map takes effect only if Texas or any other states redraw district lines before the 2026 midterms.
Sources familiar with the situation, speaking on the condition of anonymity, reported that the reshaped map aims to bolster Democrats in several swing districts while flipping five Republican-leaning districts to solidly Democratic positions. This could spell trouble for several GOP incumbents, including Reps. Doug LaMalfa of Chico, Kevin Kiley of Rocklin, Darrell Issa of Escondido, David Valadao of Hanford, and Ken Calvert of Corona, all of whom are perennial targets for Democrats in the Central Valley and Riverside County.
Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas addressed Republican criticisms, asserting that the new map is not being drafted in secrecy. “Once these maps are released, voters will have the opportunity to digest these maps, review them for weeks and months leading to this election,” he stated. “If there is another state with a more transparent process, where voters will get the ultimate say in these new maps, please let me know what it is.”
As California and Texas intensify their redistricting efforts, other states are contemplating whether to join this national race for control over the House. Following a recent visit from Vice President J.D. Vance, Indiana’s Republican Governor Mike Braun was noncommittal about redistricting in a state where Democrats hold two out of nine congressional seats. Rep. Zoe Lofgren of San Jose, chair of California’s 43-member Democratic House delegation, expressed unanimous support for the redistricting plan among her colleagues, including Pelosi. The former Speaker accused Trump and congressional Republicans of attempting to manipulate the upcoming elections due to their inability to defend their policies and present viable solutions to the American public.
“We have a responsibility to prove through the night of this Trump administration, the darkness of it all, that our flag is still there, with liberty and justice for all,” Pelosi asserted.
