Newsom hails court for blocking Texas’ 2026 House map: ‘Played with fire, got burned’
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: A federal judge on Tuesday, November 18, blocked Texas from using its newly drawn congressional map, sparking a major national fight over redistricting. Some observers believed the map could help Republicans protect their narrow majority in the 2026 elections.
The court found that the map was racially biased, ruling that Texas cannot use it in next year’s elections. The court’s decision prompted California Governor Gavin Newsom to respond publicly and hit back at President Donald Trump. He wrote, "played with fire, got burned" and added, "democracy won."
Newsom hails court ruling blocking Texas’ GOP-drawn House map
The Texas ruling drew immediate attention from California Governor Gavin Newsom. He reacted strongly on X (formerly Twitter), writing, "Donald Trump and Greg Abbott played with fire, got burned, and democracy won. This ruling is a win for Texas and for every American who fights for free and fair elections."
The ruling, issued by a federal court, blocks Texas from using its new congressional map. Texas Republicans had created the map to increase their party’s chances of winning more House seats in next year’s midterm elections. However, the court found the map unfair and said it was drawn in a way that discriminated against certain racial groups.
A three-judge federal panel in El Paso reviewed the map and voted 2–1 to stop it. The opinion was written by Judge Jeffrey V Brown, who was appointed by Donald Trump. In his decision, he wrote: “To be sure, politics played a role in drawing the 2025 Map. But it was much more than just politics. Substantial evidence shows that Texas racially gerrymandered the 2025 Map.”
The judges agreed with challengers who argued that Texas’s sudden decision to redraw districts in the middle of summer was unusual and would weaken the political power of minority communities. As a result, the map cannot be used for now.
The ruling is a major setback for Trump and Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who had pushed for the Republican-favored map. Texas has already appealed to the Supreme Court in hopes of reversing the decision.
Why California’s Prop 50 is still moving forward despite the Texas ruling?
Newsom added Proposition 50 to this year’s ballot so California could redraw its congressional map in a way that boosts Democrats. He pushed for this after Texas Republicans, backed by President Donald Trump, attempted to advance an aggressive redistricting plan.
Originally, Prop 50 included what was called “trigger language.” In simple terms, it meant: California would redraw its map only if Texas moved forward with its plan to create five new Republican seats. If Texas backed out, California would also stop, even if voters had already approved Prop 50. The trigger rule was later removed because Texas didn’t wait.
Now, Paul Mitchell, a redistricting and demography expert who helped design California’s map, told SFGATE that Prop 50 remains fully intact. He explained on X, “Since everyone is asking: No, this doesn't undo #Prop50. The trigger language was removed … So, even if their map is invalidated/postponed, the Prop 50 maps stay in place.”
