Gavin Newsom threatens to move forward with redrawing effort as Texas attorney general seeks removal of group of 13
The Republican attorney general of Texas on Friday asked the state supreme court to vacate the seats of 13 Democratic legislators who have left for blue states, hours after their absence once again delayed a vote on a redrawn congressional map sought by Donald Trump.
Republican leaders in Texas had set a Friday deadline for Democrats to return to the state capitol in Austin or face punishment, including arrest and possible removal from office. Dozens of Democrats left the state over the weekend to prevent a Republican redistricting effort, requested by the president, to redraw the Texas maps mid-cycle, as part of an effort to secure a Republican House majority in the 2026 midterms.
The aggressive redistricting effort has set off a chain reaction in other states, including California, where the governor has vowed to retaliate with a congressional map that would “nullify” the Republican effort to redraw five Democratic-held districts in Texas.
Texas was stolen from Mexico by Americans who wanted to flee taxation and when they settled and were told they couldn’t keep slaves, they took the land from the Mexican government and then chased out local tejanos who helped them split off from Mexico. Texas was founded on not paying taxes and keeping slaves.