Vice President J.D. Vance is criticizing California Governor Gavin Newsom over a reported attempt to overhaul the state’s congressional map, calling it a political move aimed at eliminating Republican districts in favor of Democratic gains.
The issue stems from Newsom’s proposal to hold a special election that would dismantle California’s independent redistricting commission, which is responsible for drawing the state’s congressional boundaries every ten years.
The commission is intended to be nonpartisan, insulating redistricting from direct political control by either party.
According to a report by Breitbart News on Tuesday, Newsom’s plan would effectively allow the Democratic-led state government to bypass the commission and redraw the map in time for the next election cycle.
Newsom has claimed the move is necessary to counterbalance what he describes as a Republican-led gerrymander in Texas.
The U.S. Department of Justice has ordered Texas to revise certain congressional districts on the grounds that they violate constitutional protections.
Vice President Vance responded by accusing Newsom of trying to manipulate California’s electoral system to benefit Democrats, despite the state already having a congressional delegation that underrepresents its Republican voters.
“This is nothing more than an effort to gerrymander California to further eliminate GOP districts,” Vance said.
“Republicans are already underrepresented in California, and this would make it even worse.”
The two political figures have previously clashed. Earlier this summer, Vance and his family visited Disneyland in Anaheim.
Governor Newsom used the trip to criticize the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies, attempting to tie the Vice President’s visit to broader political themes.
Vance, who served as a key Trump ally in the U.S. Senate before assuming the vice presidency, dismissed the remarks and did not respond to Newsom’s comments directly.
He later told reporters that his family enjoyed their time at the theme park.
The proposed special election has also drawn criticism over its expected cost.
California State Assemblyman Carl DeMaio, a Republican representing San Diego, estimated that holding the election could cost as much as $250 million.
California currently uses the Citizens Redistricting Commission, which was approved by voters in a 2008 ballot measure.
The commission includes an equal number of Democrats, Republicans, and independents, and is tasked with drawing district lines based on census data and legal criteria without favoring any political party.
Newsom’s effort to bypass the commission would require voter approval through a special statewide ballot measure.
No official date has been announced for such an election, and the measure would still need to clear procedural hurdles before it could appear on the ballot.
As the political dispute unfolds, California remains firmly under Democratic control.
However, Republicans have argued that recent population shifts and voting trends warrant a more balanced congressional map.
