From the opinion pages of the Wall Street Journal, this is Potomac Watch.

Texas moves to draw new U.S. House districts in a way that could net Republicans five seats in the

2026 midterm elections. But California Governor Gavin Newsom vows to retaliate. This is a new round of the periodic gerrymandering wars. Welcome on Kyle Peterson with the Wall Street Journal. We're joined today by my colleagues, columnist Alicia Finley, and Kim Strassel. Redistricting is the thing that normally happens. You think of it every decade after the new U.S.

census data comes out. Some states gain population and pick up house seats. Some states lose

population and lose house seats. The districts are all redrawn in order to make them roughly

equal in population. So what are we doing here mid-decade talking about redistricting again?

Well, there's a move of foot in Texas to do this mid-decade redistricting.

Here is President Trump at the White House last week.

I think we'll get five, and there could be some other states.

We're going to get another three or four or five in addition.

Texas would be the biggest one, and that'll be five.

We're not for a complete redrawing of the congressional map.

No, no, just a very simple redrawing.

We pick up five seats.

But we have a couple of other states.

We'll pick up seats also.

And here responding is Beto O'Rourke, Texas Democrat on CNN on Sunday.

This may end up biting Republicans in the ass.

You have the possibility that they will disperse Republican voters to make up these three or four or five new congressional districts and put those districts in play.

So in Texas, we've got to get out there and register and meet the voters who are going to decide the outcomes in these next elections if they're successful with this redistricting.

Alicia, what's going on here? Why are we talking about redistricting? Some listeners may think, I thought we just got through this.

So normally redistricting occurs once a decade after the reapportionment that occurs with the

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