President Donald Trump has thrust the country into a new political battle: mutually assured gerrymandering. And the antidote is what we call “mutually assured representation.”

The current saga began in June, when Trump called for Texas to start a congressional redistricting process in the middle of the decade—rather than after the next census in 2030. Last month, Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott called a special legislative session to replace the state’s current House map which would favor his party.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Now, Trump's push for mid-decade redistricting in Republican-controlled states appears likely to spread to Missouri, Ohio, and Florida. If this happens, Democrats would have retaliate in the states they control in order to have a chance at winning a majority of the seats in the House of Representatives in 2026. In New York, Governor Kathy Hochul has declared her readiness to “fight fire with fire.” In California, Governor Gavin Newsom has proposed holding a special election in November for voters to approve a ballot initiative allowing the legislature to redraw the state's congressional map.

Read More: ‘Time to Stand Down’: Newsom Gives Trump Deadline to Call Off Redistricting Plan

Advertisement

In Texas, Republicans are claiming that they are

© Time