California Republicans have filed a lawsuit requesting that the state’s supreme court stop Democrats from moving forward with a plan to redraw congressional districts.
It marks the latest in a set of moves by numerous state leaders to counteract congressional redistricting efforts in Texas.
The nationwide struggle began when U.S. President Donald Trump asked Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to help Republicans increase their majority in the U.S. House of Representatives by redrawing Texas congressional maps in a manner that would win them five additional seats.
U.S. President Donald Trump participates in a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders in the East Room of the White House, Monday, Aug. 18, 2025, in Washington.
Alex Brandon/ AP
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, backed by state Democrats, responded Thursday by announcing a plan to redraw California’s congressional maps to help Democrats win five additional seats, neutralizing Texas’ push to do the same.
“We will nullify what happens in Texas with the consent of the people,” Newsom said in a campaign video before explaining that his government will call a special election on Nov. 4, where it will put its updated redistricting maps on the ballot.
According to the New York Times, the lawsuit brought by four California Republicans argues that the state’s constitution prohibits the state legislature from moving on the redistricting bill brought by Newsom until Sept. 18, because new legislation requires a 30-day review period.
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Despite California laws, the turn of events marks a straying from tradition.
Typically, congressional lines are redrawn every 10 years to reflect population changes based on data from the national census; however, the break from the norm has forced a response from Democrat-run states, with Newsom and California now leading the charge.
Republicans currently hold 25 of Texas’s 38 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, while California Democrats have 43 of the state’s 52 seats. With the most congressional seats in the country and a reliably Democratic electorate, California could counteract Trump and Abbott’s redistricting in Texas if Newsom’s plans are approved.
Nonetheless, the Democrats’ plans will need to be signed off on by an independent congressional committee before they can go ahead, and any changes must be approved by voters.
The GOP lawsuit argues that “Instead of a monthslong transparent and participatory process overseen by an independent citizens redistricting commission for such a sensitive matter, the public would be presented instead with an up-or-down vote on maps unilaterally prepared in secret by the Legislature.”
State Democrats are expected to move their plan through committee meetings by Wednesday, the Guardian reported, adding that dozens of conservative leaders from across the state attended a public hearing Tuesday to voice opposition to the plans.
According to the outlet, some aired concerns over a lack of transparency, arguing the maps had been created without sufficient public input.
“There are so many illegal and unethical elements in this attempt,” Republican state Sen. Steven Choi said.
Brandon Richards, a spokesperson for Newsom, stated on Tuesday that the governor remained undeterred by the legal case.
“Republicans are filing a deeply unserious (and truly laughable) lawsuit to stop Americans from voting?” Richards said on the governor’s behalf. “We’re neither surprised nor worried.”
Back in Texas, a group of Democrats, in protest of a 24-hour police escort that Republicans imposed to keep them from fleeing the state again, slept on the house floor.
It comes after about 50 of them spent several weeks out of Texas to delay the redrawing of congressional districts, as per President Donald Trump’s request.
On Tuesday, State Rep. Nicole Collier of Fort Worth said in an interview that she would sleep on the House floor until Labour Day if she had to. As of Tuesday afternoon, she remained in the room for more than 24 hours.
While the state walkout ended Monday, Collier vowed to sleep on the House floor, refusing to sign what Democratic lawmakers are calling “permission slips” to leave the building and accept around-the-clock surveillance.
— With files from Global News’ Michelle Butterfield
© 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
