Gov. Abbott Says GOP May Seek To Escalate Redistricting Feud Further: 'Looking At All Options'

Texas Governor Greg Abbott warned his administration could escalate its redistricting push even further as Democrats continue blocking the initiative.

Speaking to CBS News, Abbott said Republicans are "looking at a lot of different alternatives in part to make sure we do have fairness."

"If you compare Texas to California or Illinois or New York or Massachusetts, those states are truly gerrymandered and have hardly any Republicans," he added.

Asked about whether the states has engaged in gerrymandering, the governor claimed "there is a higher percentage of Democrats in Texas than in the Congressional delegation than there are Republicans in California, Illinois, New York, and Massachusetts."

"So if Texas were to draw its maps the way the Democratic states have drawn their maps it could means as maybe a ten seat pick-up."

In this context, state Attorney General Ken Paxton asked the state Supreme Court to expel 13 Democrats from the state House. Gov. Greg Abbott had already requested the expulsion of Gene Wu, the chair of the Texas House Democrats.

Paxton has also warned Democrats who left the state to block his redistricting push that they won't be able to return for years because he will keep the issue at the top of the agenda indefinitely.

Democrats across the country have already warned they will seek to redistrict their own states if Texas moves forward. On Monday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom urged President Donald Trump to direct Texas Republicans to drop their initiative, warning that his administration can "offset the rigging of maps in red states."

In a letter published on social media, Newsom described the initiative as an "unprecedented, mid-decade hyper-partisan gerrymander to rig the upcoming midterm elections."

He added that Trump is "playing with fire, risking the destabilization of our democracy, while knowing that California can neutralize any gains you hope to make."

"This attempt to rig congressional maps to hold onto power before a single vote is cast in the 2026 election is an affront to American democracy. This is not what the founders envisioned, and California cannot stand idly by as this power grab unfolds. I do not do this lightly, as I believe legislative district maps should be drawn by independent, citizen-led efforts, as we have done in California for the last two decades," Newsom added. New York and Illinois Govs. Kathy Hochul and JB Pritzker have issued similar warnings.