Speaker Johnson vows to stop California’s redistricting push — but ignores Texas doing the same

Mike Johnson Vows to Block Gavin Newsom’s California Redistricting Plan, Calls It a “Power Grab”

House Speaker Mike Johnson is pushing back against California Governor Gavin Newsom’s newly unveiled redistricting proposal, saying he intends to derail the plan, which he claims is designed to tilt elections in favor of Democrats.

On Friday, Newsom and California Democrats introduced a proposal to redraw congressional district lines across the state. Supporters of the plan argue that it would strengthen Democratic representation and counter Republican-led redistricting efforts in Texas, where allies of former President Donald Trump have pushed aggressive boundary changes ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

Johnson, however, blasted the California move as an “illegal power grab,” accusing Newsom of undermining state laws for political gain.

“Gavin Newsom should spend less time trampling his state’s laws for a blatant power grab, and more time working to change the disastrous, far-left policies that are destroying California,” Johnson said in a statement Monday. “Newsom obviously wants to launch a presidential campaign on the backs of disenfranchised California voters, but it will not work.”

The clash highlights the escalating national battle over redistricting, as both parties maneuver to secure long-term advantages in Congress. With midterms still more than a year away, the fight over district maps in California and Texas is shaping up to be a pivotal front in the broader struggle for control of the House of Representatives.