Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott said on Monday that Democratic efforts to redraw California's congressional districts is "disgraceful" and said that if the maps pass they will be nullified by the courts.
"What the Democrats have done is disgraceful and potentially illegal," Abbott said in an appearance on Fox News. "If California is trying to squeeze out more Republicans, there will be lawsuits that overturn that."
It's hard to fathom that Abbott would have the gall to criticize California. After all, California Democrats are only working to redraw their maps in response to Abbott's redistricting efforts.
Abbott heeded President Donald Trump's demand to gerrymander Texas congressional lines before the 2026 midterms in order to make it harder for Democrats to win control of the House. Abbott called a special session to get the GOP-controlled legislature to eliminate as many as five Democratic-held seats from the state.
Democratic state lawmakers in Texas first left the state to deny Republicans a quorum, blocking them from passing the new maps.
But once California announced that it is going to try to cancel out Texas’ redistricting with their own congressional redraw, Texas Democratic lawmakers returned to the state. But in yet another autocratic move, those same Democratic lawmakers now have police escorts around-the-clock to prevent them from leaving the state again.
Meanwhile, California is specifically adding a clause to their redistricting ballot referenda that says their independent redistricting commission would still stand if Texas and other Republican-controlled states stand down from their attempts to redraw the maps.
California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom has said, however, that the redistricting effort is necessary to a safe democracy.
"If California, one of the most un-Trumped states in America, is not successful, it’s at our peril. We may not get this back. I’m telling you, we may not," Newsom said in an interview with Meidas Touch. "He is rigging this next midterm election before one vote is cast. He tried to wreck our democracy after the last vote was cast last time. Now he’s doing it in plain sight, and we have to have our sights focused—laser-focused—on winning, fighting fire with fire. No longer on our back heels—on our toes. We drive the narrative. We drive the reforms. We drive the talking points. Surround sound. Not just California—all of us. We the people, states large and small, all across this country."
Newsom also responded to Abbott’s gaslighting, writing in a post on X, “Fixed it for you. What the Republicans have done is disgraceful and potentially illegal. If Texas is trying to squeeze out more Democrats, there will be lawsuits that overturn that.”
And Democrats said Abbott will only have himself to blame if California Republicans lose their seats.
“No Gov Abbott! You, NRCC, Dan Patrick, Tx House speaker and others will be responsible for costing CA House members their seats! All b/c you didn’t have the courage to tell Trump, ‘No’!” Rep. Marc Veasey (R-TX) wrote in a post on X.
