As Texas Republicans convened for a second special session to move forward with a new congressional map deleting five Democratic seats, opposition-party lawmakers who’d fled the state were expected to return and oppose it — encouraged by California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
He’s been busy at home, too: If Newsom’s Democrats get their own map endorsed by Golden State voters on Nov. 4, every incumbent swing-seat Democrat will get a bluer district, and five Republicans would be stuck in districts that supported Kamala Harris last year.
That includes Rep. Kevin Kiley, who’s urged House Speaker Mike Johnson to bring up his anti-gerrymandering bill.
“He and the minority leader, Hakeem Jeffries, need to show leadership here and get this situation under control,” Kiley told The Washington Post.
Republicans are confident they can beat Newsom’s measure, which hasn’t dissuaded Indiana and Missouri Republicans from considering new gerrymanders.
“Pressuring [California] was one of our objectives,” Texas state Democratic Rep. James Talarico told Semafor. “It just happened a lot earlier than we thought it would.”
