NEW: GOP Rep. Launches Legal Maneuver Against Gavin Newsom

Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX) has launched a legal challenge against Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA), seeking to block what he calls an unconstitutional attempt to retaliate against Republican gains in Congress. The Amarillo filing sets the stage for a showdown between California and Texas that could decide control of the House in 2026.

Jackson’s complaint, filed Aug. 29 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, alleges that California’s recently approved “Election Rigging Response Act” (ERRA) is designed to undo the GOP’s advantage from Texas’ mid-decade redistricting.

“This is an action for declaratory and injunctive relief, arising out of Defendants’ violations of the Elections Clause and the Guarantee Clause” the filing states. Jackson argues that California’s effort “is a plainly unconstitutional and retaliatory piece of legislation targeted against Texas, its citizens, and its congressional delegation including Representative Jackson.”

The suit names both Gov. Newsom and California Secretary of State Shirley Weber as defendants. Jackson contends they are “unlawfully conspiring to diminish Republican representation in the U.S. House of Representatives, and in so doing, dilute Representative Jackson’s capacity as a Republican member of Congress.”

The clash stems from California lawmakers’ decision to put a constitutional amendment before voters in November. Signed by Newsom on Aug. 21, the measure would adopt a temporary congressional map under the ERRA, effectively redrawing House districts in a way that Republicans say punishes Texas for its own redistricting strategy.

WASHINGTON, DC – March 22, 2024: U.S. Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Tex.) runs out of the Capitol following a vote to keep the government funded until September 30.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) signed a new congressional map into law on Aug. 29, following a push from President Donald Trump. That map is projected to give Republicans five additional seats heading into the 2026 cycle. Democrats in California countered by advancing the ERRA, citing population adjustments and voter fairness.

If California’s amendment succeeds, Jackson warns, it would “leave him vulnerable to losing his chair on two subcommittees” and weaken Republican influence. The stakes extend far beyond his own district. With margins in the House historically narrow, the redistricting duel between Texas and California could tip control of Congress.

Jackson maintains that Newsom’s strategy is a direct shot at Trump’s influence on GOP map-drawing. “Through the ERRA, California seeks to have its voters engineer a Democrat victory by impugning President Donald J. Trump and Texas Republicans like Representative Jackson,” the lawsuit alleges.

The case has been assigned to Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, an appointee of President Trump who has previously ruled in favor of conservative litigants. Jackson filed in Amarillo, a single-judge division within the Northern District of Texas, ensuring the case would land on Kacsmaryk’s docket.

That venue decision reflects a broader trend of Republicans steering politically charged lawsuits to jurisdictions where judges are more likely to side with them. California officials are expected to argue that the ERRA is well within the state’s constitutional authority to manage its own elections.

Jackson, a former White House physician who served under Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump, entered Congress in 2021 representing Texas’ 13th District. Since then, he has become a vocal supporter of Trump’s agenda and a frequent critic of Democratic state leaders like Newsom.

The lawsuit also highlights years of tension between California and Texas. The complaint notes that Newsom has previously targeted Texas Republicans directly, including a 2022 ad campaign in Texas newspapers criticizing Gov. Abbott on guns and abortion. “Governor Newsom bought space…in the Austin-American Statesman, Houston Chronicle and El Paso Times,” the filing recalls.

Legal experts anticipate a drawn-out battle. Alongside this case, Texas’ new map is already being challenged in separate litigation over alleged racial gerrymandering. California’s proposal, meanwhile, must first clear voters in November before any changes can take effect.

For Jackson, the fight is personal and political. “By intentionally targeting Texas’s political power, Defendants purposefully directed their actions in Texas, causing foreseeable harm there,” the complaint says.

Whether the courts agree could determine not only Jackson’s standing in Congress but also which party commands the gavel after 2026.