Texas Governor Greg Abbott warned that the state could remove up to 10 Democratic congressional districts if California goes ahead with its plan to change its House map to block Republican gains in Texas.
Speaking to CNN’s Jake Tapper on Monday, Abbott argued that blue states have already redrawn their maps in ways that help Democrats.
“Look at Illinois, California, New York, and Massachusetts — they’ve already done all the gerrymandering they can,” Abbott said. “If California tries to create more Democratic seats, Texas can take away 10 Democratic seats in our state.”
Abbott’s comments highlight how Republicans plan to aggressively reduce the number of Democratic seats in Congress. Right now, Texas has 25 Republican House members, 12 Democrats, and one empty seat left after Democratic Rep. Sylvester Turner died in March.
Republicans in Texas hope to gain five more seats in next year’s elections through their new district maps. However, their plan is on hold because Democratic lawmakers have left the state to prevent a quorum — the minimum number of lawmakers needed to vote on new maps.
Meanwhile, blue states are also preparing for redistricting battles. California Governor Gavin Newsom announced last week that he will call a special session in November so Democrats can pass a new House map to counter Texas’s moves.
New York and Illinois are also looking at redrawing their maps, while Republican-led states like Florida, Missouri, and Indiana may revisit their district lines as well.
