While Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom considers redistricting the state to put more Democrats in the House of Representatives, a candidate for Newsom’s replacement has already released a plan to undo it.
Newsom discussed his concepts of a plan to redo the districting of California before the 2026 election on Pod Saves America on July 15. If done, this would be a direct response to urges from the White House to persuade Texas to redraw its districts before the next midterm election to open up more seats for Republicans in the House.
Newsom said he is considering a few options on how he could get these changes done before the next midterm election and in-between two censuses, when redistricting is typically done.
He said he is considering utilizing an urgency clause, calling a special session of the state legislature or a special election to amend the constitution, which he is confident in winning.
Newsom said Texans should instead be focused on flood preparedness, restoring the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and “the weather investments that they need to make,” referring to responses after the state’s Independence Day flood, which left over 100 dead. (RELATED: Six Months Later, California Democrats Have Done Basically Nothing To Rebuild From LA Fires)
Conservative pundit and Republican candidate for California governor Steve Hilton said in a statement that Republicans are already underrepresented as is and that Newsom’s attempt to “rig California’s electoral system” would even further “entrench his power and silence millions of voters.”
Hilton said that while Republicans make up around 40% of the statewide vote, they only hold 17% of the congressional seats, adding that “Newsom wants to shrink Republican representation to just 7%.”
“That’s not democracy, it’s authoritarianism,” Hilton said.
Newsom acknowledged that the Republicans and Democrats have both “weaponized” gerrymandering in the past and called for a “national framework for independent redistricting, period, full stop.” However, he said he’s not afraid to get his hands dirty to play catch-up with the GOP.
Trump said he’s going to steal 5 Congressional seats in Texas and gerrymander his way into a 2026 win.
Well, two can play that game.
Special sessions.
Special elections.
Ballot initiatives.
New laws.It’s all on the table when democracy is on the line. pic.twitter.com/iIFin1faPC
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) July 16, 2025
“We may have the higher moral ground, but the ground is shifting from underneath us, and I think we have to wake up to that reality,” Newsom said.
Hilton called Newsom out for hypocrisy, saying, “For all his endless sanctimonious lectures about ‘protecting democracy,’ he actually behaves like an autocrat who cannot stand any kind of challenge to his power.”
Hilton said that if Newsom’s “scheme for ultra-rigged districts” goes into effect, he will implement what he calls the Fair Representation plan to “make sure that no voter’s voice is silenced in California, and that our electoral system ensures fair votes and fair representation for everyone.”
If implemented upon a potential victory, the plan would not only seek to undo any changes made by Newsom right before leaving office, but also to fix changes that were already in place since a redistricting reform in 2008.
The plan also seeks to allow redistricting commissioners to hire their own staff, prioritize city and county boundaries, utilize AI to eliminate political bias and require that the “final maps reflect fair representation for political parties, based on their share of the vote or voter registration.”
“Californians want fair elections, not a system designed to protect incumbents and party insiders,” Hilton said. “I’m running to break the grip of one-party rule and bring California the change that 60% of voters have said they want to see.”
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