California Governor Gavin Newsom has issued a sharp warning to President Donald Trump over the renewed push by Texas Republicans to revise their congressional district boundaries ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. In a strongly worded letter sent Monday, Newsom stated that California would not sit quietly while Republican-led states alter political maps in ways Democrats argue skew representation.

“If you refuse to step back from this, I will have no choice but to lead an effort to redraw California’s maps to counterbalance the manipulation happening in red states,” Newsom wrote, signaling a dramatic escalation in the ongoing national battle over redistricting.

His comments came as Texas lawmakers prepared to approve a mid-decade redistricting plan expected to erase several Democratic-held seats—potentially as many as five. Republicans in Texas insist they are merely doing what Democratic states have done for years: reshaping districts in ways that strengthen their own party’s chances, including in heavily blue states like California.

The Texas plan triggered an uproar among Democrats. In an attempt to halt the vote, dozens of Democratic lawmakers walked out of the state House, breaking quorum. Their absence stalled legislative proceedings, angering Republicans who accused them of abandoning Texans still recovering from recent storms and delaying essential recovery funding.

Newsweek reported that Newsom’s warning did not shock observers, as the governor has repeatedly cautioned that he would retaliate if Republican-led states pursued what Democrats describe as extreme, partisan map manipulation.

For weeks, Newsom has reminded national audiences that he is willing to take aggressive action of his own—even though California’s districts were drawn by an independent commission designed to reduce partisanship. Rewriting those maps would require voter approval, but Newsom is signaling that California may have to consider unconventional steps if it wants to preserve balance in the House of Representatives.

“You are playing with fire,” Newsom warned Trump, accusing the president of supporting efforts that endanger democratic stability nationwide. With Democrats only three seats away from regaining control of the House, any changes to competitive districts could significantly alter the political landscape.

California Democrats are currently exploring what legal options exist to adjust their district boundaries should the need arise. While the state’s independent redistricting commission was established to prevent partisan gerrymandering, Newsom is pushing the idea that extraordinary circumstances require extraordinary responses. According to the governor, allowing Republican-led states to alter their congressional maps without consequence would be a one-sided advantage he is unwilling to tolerate.

Republicans argue that Trump’s support for Texas redistricting is part of a broader effort to solidify the GOP’s congressional majority ahead of a high-stakes election cycle. Democrats, meanwhile, claim the effort is intended to dismantle their chances of regaining control—a retaliation for their takeover of the House in 2018, when they used their new power to investigate Trump’s finances and impeach him twice over allegations he and his supporters insist were baseless.

In his letter, Newsom emphasized that he still prefers independent commissions to handle the process, not partisan legislatures. But he stressed that California “cannot simply step aside” while what he calls a “coordinated power grab” unfolds. If Texas stops its redistricting push—and if GOP-led states back down—Newsom said he would drop his counter-proposal as well.

Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott did not take kindly to Newsom’s threats. Speaking to CNN, he issued a warning of his own: if California wants to engage in a redistricting war, Texas is more than prepared to escalate.

“If California tries to carve out five more Democratic districts, Texas can respond by eliminating ten of theirs,” Abbott said. “We have the ability to push back harder than they can, because they simply have fewer Republican seats left to cut.”

Separately, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has thrust himself into the fight by filing a lawsuit with the state Supreme Court. He is asking the court to formally declare 13 Texas House seats vacant due to the prolonged absence of Democratic lawmakers who fled the state to prevent the redistricting vote.

Paxton condemned the legislators’ actions as a betrayal of their constitutional responsibilities. “These lawmakers abandoned their posts and the people they swore an oath to serve,” he said in a press release. He accused the Democrats of “sabotaging” the legislative process, arguing that such actions cannot go unanswered.

As both states dig in, tensions between Democrats and Republicans across the country continue to intensify. The showdown over redistricting is shaping up to be one of the defining political battles ahead of the 2026 midterms—one with implications that could echo far beyond California and Texas.