Former Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger plans to fight Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom's gerrymandering effort in California.
Newsom has said he wants to advance partisan redistricting, though he added that he won't move ahead if Texas pauses its efforts.
Texas Democrats left the Lone Star State in an attempt to prevent the state House from holding a vote on new congressional maps that Republicans hope will net them several additional U.S. House seats in the 2026 midterm elections.
A Schwarzenegger spokesman said the former governor's gerrymandering stance is not partisan.
"He calls gerrymandering evil, and he means that. He thinks it's truly evil for politicians to take power from people," spokesperson Daniel Ketchell said, Politico reported. "He's opposed to what Texas is doing, and he's opposed to the idea that California would race to the bottom to do the same thing."
As governor from 2003-2011, Schwarzenegger supported constitutional amendments that were passed and took authority for drawing legislative districts from politicians and placed it in the hands of a newly created independent commission.
Rep. Kevin Kiley, R-Calif., last week told Newsmax's Rob Schmitt that Newsom is working to strip California Republicans of their already limited representation in Congress, claiming that the governor is pushing to abolish the state's voter-approved redistricting commission in a calculated bid for national attention.
Abolishing the commission would require voter approval. Newsom said Monday he's "very" confident he can secure the two-thirds legislative supermajority needed to put the question on a November special-election ballot, Politico reported.
With the League of Women Voters and California Common Cause among groups challenging Newsom's proposal, Schwarzenegger is ready to join the effort.
The groups previously came together to pass Prop 11, which created the commission in 2008, and Prop 20, which extended the commission's authority to congressional maps in 2010.
Philanthropist Charles Munger Jr., the 68-year-old son of Warren Buffett's business partner, has begun to commission polls and focus groups to fight Newsom's plan.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.