Redistricting – the process of drawing new congressional maps – happens once every ten years. But Texas Governor Greg Abbott just decided to redraw these maps right now, mid-decade, in a rushed 30-day special session.

Fair redistricting normally takes months. Communities get time to organize, attend public hearings, and speak up. But Abbott and his allies are planning to rush this behind closed doors – in the dead of night.

And make no mistake, Abbot isn’t trying to create fairer representation for Texans, he’s trying to skew the maps in Trump and his allies’ favor. 

Redistricting Should Reflect Communities – Not Politicians

Trump just signed a hugely unpopular bill that puts over 1.6 million Texans at risk of losing healthcare coverage and threatens food aid for more than 3 million Texans – and they’re worried that voters won’t take kindly to the 25 Texas Republican representatives.

So, Abbott – under pressure from Trump’s desperate team – is forcing the state through another contentious redistricting process, years ahead of schedule. And he’ll do it by drawing radical maps that carve up districts with large Black and brown communities – splitting voters apart to dilute their power and deny them fair representation.

This is a blatant power grab, designed to suppress marginalized voters, and redraw the rules to benefit those already in power.

When Maps Are Rigged, We All Lose

Now, California Governor Gavin Newsom is floating the idea of redrawing California’s voting maps mid-decade, not because the Census changed, but to retaliate against Republicans in Texas.

This isn’t a game. Redistricting isn’t a tool for political revenge, it’s how we make sure every community has a voice. 

California Common Cause was the main force behind California’s citizen-led redistricting commission, stopping politicians from drawing districts for their own gain. That’s a reform we fought hard to pass and it’s one we stand by.

California set the national gold standard for fair redistricting, and now it’s at risk of being torn down for political points. 

Protect the Integrity of Redistricting

Texas Republicans’ scheme to rig their maps mid-decade is so dangerous because if they succeed, it’ll spark a nationwide race to the bottom where no matter who wins, voters lose. So we’re prepared to fight like hell to stop them in Texas, and anywhere else that politicians try to steal away our right to fair representation.

We sued after Texas Republicans pulled a similar scheme in 2020, and our allies are still in court fighting that map in a similar case. But before the judges even rule, Trump, Abbott, and his allies want to start over—just because they’re afraid of losing.

So now, we’re sending letters to lawmakers and planning visits to the state capitol. We’ve got the truth on our side. We’ve got the law on our side. And when we organize, we’ll have the people on our side too.