Newsom Threatens Trump: California Will Fight Back Against GOP Redistricting Plot

Paul Riverbank, 8/12/2025Governors clash over redistricting as Democrats and Republicans openly weaponize gerrymandering for political gain.

Let's be real here: both parties have always played games with district maps. Back in 2010, I watched Democrats in Maryland squeeze out Republican seats with surgical precision. Now we're seeing the same theatrical outrage, just with different actors on stage.

What fascinates me most about this current drama is how it's exposed the raw hypocrisy in our political system. Take Illinois – Trump won 44% of the vote there, but Republicans hold just three of 17 House seats. When I mentioned this to a Democratic strategist last week, they actually tried to justify it as "protecting democracy." Come on.

The situation in Texas has become particularly messy. Gov. Abbott's threat to arrest Democratic lawmakers who fled has cranked up tensions to eleven. Meanwhile, Gov. Pritzker of Illinois is playing host to these legislative refugees, essentially thumbing his nose at Texas state law. I had coffee with a constitutional law professor yesterday who called it "a circus that would make the Founding Fathers cringe."

But here's what really keeps me up at night: California Gov. Newsom's threat to deliberately gerrymander his state's maps in response to Republican actions elsewhere. Think about that for a moment. We've moved from parties trying to hide their partisan redistricting behind complex algorithms to openly threatening retaliatory gerrymandering. That's new, and it's dangerous.

The numbers tell us why this matters so much. Republicans could pick up five House seats through Texas redistricting alone. Democrats need just three seats to flip the chamber in 2026. No wonder things have gotten so heated that the DHS is positioning personnel to protect federal property from potential unrest.

I've spent decades watching politicians justify their own gerrymandering while denouncing their opponents for doing exactly the same thing. But this time feels different. The masks are off. Both parties are now openly treating redistricting like warfare, and nobody seems interested in finding a better way forward.

Maybe it's time we had an honest conversation about whether we want to keep letting politicians pick their voters instead of the other way around. But I won't hold my breath waiting for that discussion to start.

The Great American Redistricting Battle of 2024 has taken some truly bizarre turns. I've covered redistricting fights for twenty years, but I've never seen anything quite like Texas Democrats fleeing to Illinois to prevent a vote – while their Republican governor threatens to have them arrested.Let's be real here: both parties have always played games with district maps. Back in 2010, I watched Democrats in Maryland squeeze out Republican seats with surgical precision. Now we're seeing the same theatrical outrage, just with different actors on stage.What fascinates me most about this current drama is how it's exposed the raw hypocrisy in our political system. Take Illinois – Trump won 44% of the vote there, but Republicans hold just three of 17 House seats. When I mentioned this to a Democratic strategist last week, they actually tried to justify it as "protecting democracy." Come on.The situation in Texas has become particularly messy. Gov. Abbott's threat to arrest Democratic lawmakers who fled has cranked up tensions to eleven. Meanwhile, Gov. Pritzker of Illinois is playing host to these legislative refugees, essentially thumbing his nose at Texas state law. I had coffee with a constitutional law professor yesterday who called it "a circus that would make the Founding Fathers cringe."But here's what really keeps me up at night: California Gov. Newsom's threat to deliberately gerrymander his state's maps in response to Republican actions elsewhere. Think about that for a moment. We've moved from parties trying to hide their partisan redistricting behind complex algorithms to openly threatening retaliatory gerrymandering. That's new, and it's dangerous.The numbers tell us why this matters so much. Republicans could pick up five House seats through Texas redistricting alone. Democrats need just three seats to flip the chamber in 2026. No wonder things have gotten so heated that the DHS is positioning personnel to protect federal property from potential unrest.I've spent decades watching politicians justify their own gerrymandering while denouncing their opponents for doing exactly the same thing. But this time feels different. The masks are off. Both parties are now openly treating redistricting like warfare, and nobody seems interested in finding a better way forward.Maybe it's time we had an honest conversation about whether we want to keep letting politicians pick their voters instead of the other way around. But I won't hold my breath waiting for that discussion to start.