Texas Redistricting Moves Closer as Millions Pour Into California Fight [View all]

Source: Newsweek

Published Aug 23, 2025 at 3:31 AM EDT | Updated Aug 23, 2025 at 10:03 AM EDT


In the early hours of Saturday morning the Texas Senate approved a redistricting bill that experts say would likely give Republicans an additional five seats in the House of Representatives at the 2026 midterm elections. Separately in California, more than $20 million has reportedly been raised by those campaigning for and against a new gerrymandered map that would likely gain the Democrats five House seats. Newsweek contacted Texas Governor Greg Abbott and California Governor Gavin Newsom for comment on Saturday via email outside of regular office hours.

Why It Matters

President Donald Trump has pushed for redistricting in Texas leading to a bill that could give the Republicans five additional seats in the House of Representatives after the 2026 midterm elections. Currently the GOP has a majority of just seven in the House, meaning redistricting could determine who controls the lower chamber of Congress after voters next go to the polls.

In response, Governor Newsom backed a rival redistricting bill in California that would likely cost the Republicans five House seats in what he said was a direct response to the Texas legislation. This bill is written in such a way that it would only take effect if the Texas redistricting goes ahead. Due to California state law a special election would need to be held on the bill before it becomes law.

What To Know

On Saturday the Texas redistricting bill passed the state Senate by 18 votes to 11 along party lines following over eight hours of debate. State Senator Carol Alvarado, a Democrat, has said she would filibuster the bill but this plan was foiled when Republicans ended the debate with a rare procedural motion. According to The Texas Tribune some observers in the public gallery were ejected after shouting "fascist" and "shame" when the legislation was passed. Typically, congressional districts are redrawn every ten years, and critics say the current Republican move in Texas is motivated by partisan political advantage.

Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/texas-redistricting-moves-closer-millions-pour-california-fight-2118161

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Very few if any will report the name of California's main redistricting bill - "Election Rigging Response Act".

I wonder why?

I also noted the coverage of TX suddenly got muted yesterday after Newsom signed California's bills because all week, the media was making it a horse race with the assumption that the CA legislature wouldn't have time to get it done by yesterday. But alas, much to their chagrin, they were "pwned", as TX had still not finished their process. And by this morning, the fawning over the TX fiasco while hypocritically and disdainfully pointing at CA's response, was mostly over, in some cases, getting the tiny font treatment and placed in side columns, or "below the fold" (as a euphemism).