GOP rep weighs bolting California for Texas seat as dueling redistricting wars upend 2026 map: report
In a significant shift in political strategy, GOP Representative Darrell Issa is reportedly contemplating a run for Congress in Texas, specifically targeting the newly drawn 32nd Congressional District, currently held by Democrat Rep. Julie Johnson. This potential move comes in the wake of major redistricting efforts in both California and Texas that are reshaping the political landscape ahead of the crucial midterm elections. The redistricting process has been contentious, with Texas implementing a GOP-friendly map that has drawn criticism for being racially gerrymandered, while California’s recent changes have made it more challenging for Republicans like Issa to maintain their foothold.
Issa’s current district in California has undergone significant alterations, shifting from a territory that favored Donald Trump by 15 points to one where Joe Biden would have won by 3 points, according to the Cook Political Report. This drastic change has prompted Issa to consider relocating to Texas, where friends and political allies have encouraged him to pursue the 32nd District seat. However, the situation remains fluid, as legal challenges to the redistricting efforts in both states could impact the elections. The Supreme Court is expected to rule soon on Texas’ redistricting plan, which has already faced scrutiny from federal judges who labeled it racially biased.
The implications of these redistricting battles extend beyond Issa’s potential candidacy. The political landscape is heating up as both parties vie for control of the House of Representatives, with Democrats needing only a three-seat gain to reclaim the majority. In response to the Republican efforts in Texas, lawmakers in several states, including Indiana, North Carolina, and Virginia, are considering their own redistricting strategies to counteract GOP advantages. Former President Trump has been vocal about the need for Republicans to maintain their majority, emphasizing the stakes involved in the upcoming elections. As the situation evolves, the outcomes of these redistricting challenges will play a crucial role in shaping the political dynamics of the midterms.
GOP Rep.
Darrell Issa
is reportedly considering a run for Congress in Texas next year rather than his current district in California as major redistricting in California and Texas continues to change the political landscape for the midterm elections.
Issa could head to Texas to run in the state’s 32nd Congressional District currently represented by Democratic Rep. Julie Johnson after Texas split her district in the controversial GOP-friendly redistricting effort. The redistricting incited California to redraw its districts in favor of Democrats, which made the path forward more difficult for Issa,
Punchbowl News reported
on Monday.
Issa was significantly affected by California’s newly redrawn maps that voters approved last month. The change transformed the landscape from a district where Trump won by 15 points to new boundaries where former Vice President Kamala Harris would have won by 3 points, according to the Cook Political Report.
A source told Fox News Digital Issa did not “go looking” for the opportunity but that friends in Texas encouraged him to run, and he is “working through it.”
GOP LAWMAKER FLIPS SCRIPT ON NEWSOM, BASS BY DEFINING ANTI-ICE RIOTS WITH 1 WORD
Further complicating the situation is the fact that redistricting in both California and Texas is facing legal challenges. And it is unclear whether they will be in effect for next year’s critical midterm election that will decide the balance of power in Congress.
The Supreme Court is expected to decide on Texas’ redistricting in the next few days after a panel of federal judges blocked the state from using its redrawn congressional map, calling it “racially gerrymandered,” a ruling which Republicans across the country have
blasted as a “double standard.”
CALIFORNIA VOTERS PASS CONGRESSIONAL REDISTRICTING PROPOSITION IN VICTORY FOR NEWSOM, DEMOCRATS
In California, where Gov. Gavin Newsom successfully backed a ballot measure to erase the new seats Republicans were likely to pick up in Texas, Trump’s Department of Justice has
filed a lawsuit
challenging the redistricting, arguing that race was “used as a proxy” in California to justify creating districts favorable to Democrats.
The move by Republicans in Texas to attempt to add more GOP seats has created a political firestorm across the country as lawmakers in other states have pledged to make counteracting moves as Republicans try to defend a razor-thin majority in the House of Representatives, where Democrats need a pickup of just three seats to win back control.
Lawmakers in Indiana, North Carolina, Missouri, Maryland, Utah and Virginia are exploring or moving forward with plans to change their maps.
“We must keep the Majority at all costs,” Trump wrote recently.
Fox News Digital’s Ashley Oliver and Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
