Democrats push back Trump-backed Texas GOP constituency
Backed by President Donald Trump, Texas Republicans are pushing forward with mid-term rezoning ahead of mid-term 2026, eliciting backlash from Democrats.
California Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla said his party should be willing to fight fire and fire in light of Texas’ potentially controversial gerrymandering schemes.
“If Republicans were confident in their policy agenda, they would be eager to defend it in November next year and defend it in the ballot box,” Padilla said in an August 3 interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
“But they know they’re in trouble,” he continued. “And they’re trying to equip the system.”
The California Senator was referring to President Donald Trump’s proposal for a new map of the state legislative district of the Republican Texas after urging him to find a way to flip up to five seats in next year’s midterm elections.
“A very simple redraw, we’ll pick up five seats,” Trump told reporters on July 15.
Padilla asked Trump to request Texas Republicans during his term that Georgia’s top officials “find 11,780 votes” to help him “get 11,780 votes” to help him get to the top of the 2020 election.
It is rare for new census data to be rezoned in the mid-10 years, rather than every decade after collection. And pushbacks from Democrats across the country are widespread.
Blue State leaders are threatening severe reactions, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom. (Newsom faces the challenges of a bipartisan constituency committee that oversees California’s maps, unlike Texas, where lawmakers direct boundaries.)
Some California Democrats warn that the rezoning arms race could erode trust with voters.
In response to these concerns, Padilla told NBC that she believes it is appropriate for a Democratic-controlled state to assess its options.
“The ideal scenario is for Texas to stop. They don’t need to do this. They shouldn’t do this. But if they move forward and bring Trump to his five extra Republicans… it’s simply too expensive for Democrats to not respond.
Padilla also addressed recent comments from his fellow Democrats on his politics and American democracy. This includes the party’s appeal to Senator Corey Booker to “have a backbone.”
“It’s time for us to fight, and it’s time for us to draw a line,” Booker said on July 29th from the Senate floor.
Asked whether Booker’s rebellious approach is the right attitude for Democrats under the Trump administration, Padilla said, “Look, I think the extreme way this administration is doing itself is asking for ways to push back on a higher profile way.”
After she announced she would not run for California governor in 2026, former vice president Kamala Harris appeared on CBS’s “The Late Show” with Stephen Colbert.
In an interview on July 31, Harris told Colbert:
Padilla agreed with some in Harris’ take, saying, “I think the system is obsessive.”
“The Democrats are doing our part to get up and push back,” he added.
