'Not the way things are supposed to work': Blue-state Republicans turn on Speaker in GOP map battle

15 August

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) arrives for the day at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 23, 2025. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

The Washington Post reports House Speaker Mike Johnson is having to calm fears from blue-state Republicans alarmed at being pushed from office by retaliatory gerrymanders.

Hounded by falling poll numbers and nervous at the mid-terms, President Donald Trump is pushing an ambitious plan to remake red-state district maps to bolster the House GOP majority in 2026.

Gerrymandering maps in the middle of a decade — as opposed to after new Census numbers come in every 10 years — is unprecedented, however. And blue-state Democrats, like California Gov. Gavin Newsome, have promised to retaliate by working with state legislators to erase vulnerable Republicans districts.

“I really don’t like the idea that this is going to be some sort of redistricting war, or there’s going to be this domino effect where one state after another upends their district lines. That’s not the way things are supposed to work,” said Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-Calif.), whose GOP district is one of five that California Democrats could obliterateif Texas proceeds with Trump’s plan.

The Post reports Johnson oversees a historically narrow House majority, and a larger majority could preserve Johnson’s speakership for another two years and make passing GOP legislation easier. But Blue-state Republicans could confound Johnson’s agenda in the meantime if Johnson is seen as endorsing any plan that puts their seats on a chopping block.

There is debate over whether the White House’s push for more seats is worth the trouble, reports the Post, particularly in an election cycle that typically punishes the president’s party. Strategists tell the Post there is no guarantee the maps will result in GOP gains because it’s unclear which voters will turn out if Republican voters are demoralized by poor economic numbers.

The Post reports some centrist red-state Republicans are also worried about having to fend off primary challengers in slightly less red districts that come of folding their Republican voters into neighboring blue districts.

“Some fear their seats could include more Democratic voters and become swingier,” reports the Post.

White House political operatives reached out to Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott immediately after a Democrat won a highly disputed Wisconsin court seat in April. Fueling the anxiety was the fact that the liberal candidate won despite billionaire and Trump ally Elon Musk offering a $2 million cash prize to voters opposing against “activist judges.”

Read the full Washington Post report at this link.

From Your Site Articles