They Messed with Texas

For years, California stood as the gold standard for how congressional maps should be drawn—openly, fairly, and free from the grubby fingerprints of partisan operatives. Its independent citizens redistricting commission was held up as a national model, proving that a state as large and complex as California could still put voters above politicians. That’s why it’s so deplorable to watch the state abandon that legacy and move toward a partisan gerrymander of its own.

But let’s be honest: this shift didn’t happen in a vacuum. It was triggered by Donald Trump’s open push to create new Republican-friendly seats in Texas, a move that would tilt representation even further away from demographic reality. If Texas wants to play hardball, California seems prepared to answer in kind.

And the irony is almost poetic. Texas loves to boast its motto—“Don’t mess with Texas”—but in trying to game the system, it may have awakened a political giant. California may not have the wide-open land mass of Texas, but it has something far more powerful: people. Millions more of them. And in a democracy built on representation, numbers matter.

If Texas insists on rewriting the rules, California might just show them how that game is really played.