In the latest clash over mid-decade redistricting, a Texas congressman is suing California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom over a redistricting bill he signed in August, calling it “unconstitutional and retaliatory.”
The lawsuit was filed by Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. Jackson claims the Newsom-backed Election Rigging Response Act was passed in response to Texas’ redistricting plans and “is a plainly unconstitutional and retaliatory piece of legislation targeted against Texas, its citizens, and its congressional delegation.”
The suit names Newsom and California Secretary of State Shirley Weber as defendants. On Friday, U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk denied Jackson’s request for a temporary restraining order and postponed ruling on his request for a preliminary injunction until the defendants respond. The case is ongoing.
Jackson wants to block California’s redistricting law. If voters approve it in November, it could benefit Democrats and was specifically designed to counter a Texas law supported by President Donald Trump that favors Republicans.
Jackson says, “California’s scheme alters Congress’ power dynamics in a way that harms the citizens of Texas” and adds that “if California’s plan succeeds, Democrats could gain several additional House seats in 2026, potentially determining the majority in 2027.”
He argues that California broke both the U.S. Constitution and its own state constitution, which “entrusts redistricting to the independent Citizens Commission and explicitly forbids drawing districts to favor or discriminate against a political party.”
Jackson’s office told Fox News Digital that while Texas followed its state constitution, California “violated its constitution in a desperate attempt to undercut President Trump ahead of the 2026 midterms.”
Jackson, a retired Navy rear admiral who served as President Donald Trump’s physician, said Newsom’s redistricting push “betrays every citizen who trusted him.”
He added, “Gavin Newsom’s deranged obsession with destroying President Trump has turned him into a lawless tyrant who violates California’s own constitution and betrays every citizen who trusted him with the responsibility of running their state.”
Jackson also said, “I refuse to stand by while this partisan extremist weaponizes his office, silencing the will of the American people while betraying the state he took an oath to protect, all in the name of retaliating against Texas voters and the recent legal redistricting process in Texas.”
In response, Brandon Richards, a spokesperson for Newsom, dismissed the lawsuit. He said, “It appears yet another Trump lapdog is pushing a pathetic lawsuit in a sad, desperate attempt to curry favor with their Dear Leader – wasting taxpayer dollars.”
Richards added, “Unfortunately for Ronny, he’ll only add to Trump’s losing streak in the courts. Rather than daydream of the Golden State, his energy would be better spent focusing on addressing Texas’ homicide rate, which is 140% higher than California’s.”
A spokesperson for Weber’s office declined to comment.
In August, Newsom, who is considered a possible frontrunner for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination, signed bills that let voters decide whether to overturn the existing congressional maps and the state’s independent redistricting commission, creating a new one that could favor Democrats.
The bills, passed by California’s Democrat-led legislature, are part of a plan to counter Texas’ new congressional map. They allow California voters to decide in a special election on Nov. 4 whether to suspend the bipartisan redistricting commission and replace the current districts with a map drawn by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
After signing the bills, Newsom accused Trump of being “one of the most unpopular presidents in U.S. history” and said, “he recognizes he will lose the election, Congress will go back in the hands of the Democratic Party next November.”
