Governor Abbott Responds to Potential Gerrymandering Efforts in Texas

Texas Governor Greg Abbott, speaking with CNN host Jake Tapper, addressed concerns about California Governor Gavin Newsom’s potential efforts to “gerrymander” more Congressional seats away from Republicans. Abbott indicated he would be ready to counter such moves.

To halt the Texas Legislature’s special sessions, some Democratic lawmakers have fled to states like New York and Illinois. These special sessions might consider a redistricting plan that could enable Republicans to gain as many as five additional seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. During the conversation, Tapper brought up Newsom’s previous statements, suggesting that if Texas encounters similar challenges, there could be a reciprocal redistricting effort in California.

Abbott remarked, “Let’s be honest, many of those big blue states are already engaged in gerrymandering. Just look at Illinois or California, New York, or Massachusetts. They’ve been doing this for a while.”

He further emphasized, “They’re running out of options. If California chooses to gerrymander five more districts, Texas can eliminate ten Democrats in our state. They have a limited number of Republican districts to work with, so they can play that game as much as they’d like.”

Following the 2024 elections, California’s representation is set to include 43 Democrats and nine Republicans, according to Ballotpedia.

New York had redrawn its Congressional district after the 2022 midterms, resulting in a scenario where six of the eleven Republicans were newly elected. After the latest tally from the 2024 elections, Democrats maintained seven seats for Republicans. According to Ballotpedia, three more seats were impacted after Democrats secured a special election due to the ousting of former Republican Representative George Santos.

In Illinois, Democrats are also expected to adjust their Congressional districts, potentially allowing in two Republicans, including former Representative Adam Kinzinger, who has been a vocal critic of President Donald Trump. Post-2020 census, Illinois shifted from thirteen Democrats and five Republicans to fourteen Democrats and three Republicans following the 2022 midterm elections, as noted by Ballotpedia.