California launches blue state gerrymandering campaign in response to Texas redistricting

California's Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday kicked off a "Great Blue State Gerrymander" campaign that is a direct response to Texas' recent redistricting drama, which would give the Lone Star state five more Republican seats in Congress.

Texas Democrats staged a walkout in the state House of Representatives in order to stop Republicans from getting the necessary quorum to approve the new map. The move prompted Democratic leaders in California, New York and Illinois to consider redoing their own maps in retaliation. 

Newsom warned President Donald Trump that he would lead the redistricting fight if the president does not call off Texas. Trump has since missed the governor's deadline to intervene.

“We can’t stand back and watch this democracy disappear, district by district, all across this country,” Newsom said during a news conference in Los Angeles. “We need to stand up. Not just California: Other states need to stand up.”

California Democrats are rushing to draw their own new redistricting map, which would likely unseat half a dozen Republicans in the Golden State, and hope to have the new map approved in a special election on Nov. 4.

“Californians believe in fair maps,” Democratic California Rep. Pete Aguilar told Politico, “but if Texas and other red states want to move forward with their partisan power grab to rig the elections, we cannot sit on the sidelines.”

Texas GOP Gov. Greg Abbott has said his state's efforts to redo its districts come after blue states were already gerrymandered.

“Look at the map of Illinois. Look at the map of California, New York and Massachusetts, and so many other blue states they gerrymandered a long time ago," Abbott told CNN on Monday. "They got nothing left with regard to what they can do.”

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.