California’s governor keeps talking about creating new House seats in response to a Texas gerrymander. But the gambit could backfire on Democrats.

President Trump and Texas GOP leaders push for mid-decade redistricting to create five new winnable seats, as both parties engage in mapping strategies to control the House in 2026.

President Donald Trump told Texas Republicans Tuesday the White House believes the GOP can flip as many as five US House seats as part of a Republican redistricting effort in the state, according to a source familiar with the call.

After rumors emerged that President Donald Trump was pushing Texas Republicans to redraw the state’s congressional maps to give the GOP an advantage in the 2026 midterms, Gov. Greg Abbott officially added it to the special session agenda Wednesday. One expert said there may be risks in redrawing the maps.

A special session of the Texas Legislature will address the deadly floods in Hill Country, but the fireworks will come from President Trump’s demand for a newly gerrymandered House map.

Some Democrats are calling on California to redraw its districts as Donald Trump presses for further gerrymandering in Texas.

House Democrats dreaming of retaking the chamber’s majority during the midterms may have found an ally in Democratic California Gavin

The effort could help Republicans maintain control of Congress next year. But it may also leave incumbents vulnerable to new Democratic challenges.