Gov. Newsom's proposed redistricting could put Valley Republican seats at risk

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- California's Republican congressional seats could soon be in the crosshairs as Governor Newsom issues a challenge.

"We have got to fight fire with fire," Newsom said on Friday.

He was flanked by Texas Democrats who were in Sacramento to speak out as Texas Republicans consider redrawing congressional districts to potentially gain more seats in the House during the midterms for their party.

"The game has changed," Newsom said. "They don't even want to play by the same set of rules."

Newsom said if Texas tips the scale for Republicans, California will do the same for Democrats.

"We want to play the game on the terms where everybody is playing by the same set of rules," Newsom said. "That's no longer the case. We have to disenthrall ourselves that that's the case. Not with Donald Trump."

President Trump's agenda hinges on the balance of power in Congress, where Republicans in the House have a razor-thin majority, a margin of seven seats.

"Typically, a president, when they go through a midterm election, their party loses during that election," Blake Zante, the Executive Director of the Maddy Institute, said.

He believes redistricting could ripple through the Valley, where Congressmen Tom McClintock, David Valadao, and Vince Fong make up three of the state's nine GOP seats.

They are some of the tightest congressional districts in the country.

"Many of those districts could end up getting consolidated or, if Newsom pushes through his proposal to try to redraw some seats to favor Democrats, we could see those seats going away," Zante said.

With the Valley impact looming large, Valley lawmakers could be key.

"I don't think it should be a race to the bottom," Fresno Republican Assemblymember David Tangipa said.

He is among the lawmakers in the state legislature who would have to vote on Newsom's plan.

"I'll say this, gerrymandering one way or the other, whether it's for Republicans or Democrats, is not something I support," he said.

California voters approved an independent redistricting commission in 2010.

It is unclear how quickly Governor Newsom's plan could ask them to reverse that.

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