GOP effort forms to shut down Texas vs. California redistricting war
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Rep. Kevin Kiley arrives at the U.S. Capitol for a Republican conference meeting on Feb. 5. Photo: Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
A House Republican said Monday that he plans to introduce legislation to ban mid-decade redistricting efforts nationwide — which would stymie his own party's push to create more GOP-leaning seats in Texas.
Why it matters: For Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-Calif.), the effort is personal as Democrats in California vow to draw Republicans like him out of their seats in retaliation for the Texas effort.
- The bill would "stop a damaging redistricting war from breaking out across the country," Kiley said in a press release previewing the measure.
- Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), who previously told Axios he is uneasy with both parties' redistricting efforts, said he would "consider" supporting the bill.
Reality check: Though it could become a rallying point for lawmakers in both parties uneasy with the partisan redistricting tit-for-tat, the bill is highly unlikely to pass the House — let alone become law.
- President Trump, with support from House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), has urged Republicans to use all the tools at their disposal to gain a leg-up in the 2026 midterms.
- Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.), asked if he would support Kiley's legislation, expressed skepticism towards "a bill that the speaker won't hear."
- Spokespeople for House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
State of play: Texas Republicans are hoping to net as many as five additional House seats by packing their state's Democrats into as few districts as possible while spreading Republican voters across more seats.
- California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, has promised to respond in kind if Texas passes its proposed map — though his state's constitution would need to be amended first.
- Democrats in Texas' state legislature fled to Illinois on Sunday to deny Republicans the quorum they need to pass the map, with Republican Gov. Greg Abbott threatening to remove them from office in response.
What they're saying: Kiley, in a statement, only called out Newsom, saying the governor is "trying to subvert the will of voters and do lasting damage to democracy in California."
- "Fortunately, Congress has the ability to protect California voters using its authority under the Elections Clause of the U.S. Constitution," he said.
- That focus on Newsom is fueling Democratic skepticism, with Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.), a co-chair of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, telling Axios: "If Mr. Kiley directs the same passion equally towards what's going on in Texas, we might have something to talk about."
