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The Democrats announced they will return so long as Texas Republicans end a special session and California releases its own redrawn map proposal, both of which were expected to happen Friday.

Democrats did not say what day they might return.

Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott still intends to push through new maps that would give the GOP five more winnable seats before next year's midterm elections.

Texas House Democrats said in a statement that attorneys told them they must return to the state to 鈥渂uild a strong public legislative record鈥� for an upcoming legal battle against a new map.

鈥淣ow, as Democrats across the nation join our fight to cause these maps to fail their political purpose, we鈥檙e prepared to bring this battle back to Texas under the right conditions and to take this fight to the courts,鈥� said state Rep. Gene Wu, the House Democratic leader.

At the same time, the Texas Democrats want to wait until California Democrats file their bill to redraw the state's maps, Wu added. 鈥淲e want to make sure the baton is fully in their hands before we let go,鈥� he said.

Texas Democrats, who are the minority in each chamber, fled Aug. 3聽to Illinois, New York and Massachusetts to stop the Legislature from passing any bills.

Abbott asked the state's highest court to remove Wu from office, and other Republican officials threatened their arrest. U.S. Sen. John Cornyn said he asked the FBI to assist Texas authorities in locating the lawmakers and Attorney General Ken Paxton asked that 13 members be removed from office.

Lawmakers face fees of up to $500 each day they are absent after the House adopted new rules in 2021 after a similar walkout over voting restriction legislation.

Texas has 38 congressional districts, 25 of which Republicans hold. In California, Democrats control 43 of the state's 52 House seats.

California governor calls for Nov. 4 special election on state's redrawn maps

Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom said Thursday that聽California聽will hold a Nov. 4 special election to seek approval of redrawn districts intended to give Democrats five more U.S. House seats in the fight for control of Congress.

The move is a direct response to聽, pushed by President聽聽as his party seeks to maintain its slim House majority in the midterm elections.

The nation's two most populous states emerged as the center of a partisan turf war in the House that could聽聽鈥� as well as the courts 鈥� in what amounts to a proxy war ahead of the 2026 elections.

Newsom goes to LA to launch campaign for new districts

In Los Angeles, Newsom staged what amounted to a campaign kickoff rally for the as-yet unreleased new maps with the state's Democratic leadership in a downtown auditorium packed with union members, legislators and abortion rights supporters.

Newsom and other speakers veered from discussing the technical grist of reshaping districts 鈥� known as redistricting 鈥� and instead depicted the looming battle as a conflict with all things Trump, tying it explicitly to the fate of American democracy.

鈥淲e can鈥檛 stand back and watch this democracy disappear district by district all across the country," Newsom said. 鈥淲e are not bystanders in this world. We can shape the future.鈥�

An overarching theme was the willingness to stand up to Trump, a cheer-inducing line for Democrats as the party looks to regroup from its 2024 losses.

鈥淒onald Trump, you have poked the bear and we will punch back,鈥� said Newsom, a possible 2028 presidential contender.

Showdown between Texas and California could spread

Thursday's announcement marks the first time any state beyond Texas officially waded into the mid-decade redistricting fight.

Elsewhere, leaders from聽聽to blue New York are threatening to write new maps. In Missouri, a document obtained by The Associated Press shows the state Senate received a $46,000 invoice to activate six redistricting software licenses and provide training for up to 10 staff members.

In California, lawmakers must officially declare the special election, which they plan to do next week after voting on the new maps. Democrats hold supermajorities in both chambers 鈥� enough to act without any Republican votes 鈥� and Newsom said he's not worried about winning the required support from two-thirds of lawmakers to advance the maps.

Newsom encouraged other Democratic-led states to get involved.

鈥淲e need to stand up 鈥� not just California. Other blue states need to stand up,鈥� Newsom said.

House control could come down to a few seats in 2026

Republicans hold a 219-212 majority in the U.S. House, with four vacancies.

New maps are typically drawn once a decade after the census is conducted. Many states, including Texas, give legislators the power to draw maps. California is among states that rely on an independent commission that is supposed to be nonpartisan.

The California map would take effect only if a Republican state moves forward, and it would remain through the 2030 elections. After that, Democrats say they would return mapmaking power to the independent commission approved by voters more than a decade ago.

Opposition to California plan begins to take shape

Some people already have said they would sue to block the effort, and influential voices including former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger may campaign against it.

鈥淕avin Newsom鈥檚 latest stunt has nothing to do with Californians and everything to do with consolidating radical Democrat power, silencing California voters, and propping up his pathetic 2028 presidential pipe dream,鈥� National Republican Congressional Committee spokesperson Christian Martinez said in a statement. 鈥淣ewsom鈥檚 made it clear: he鈥檒l shred California鈥檚 Constitution and trample over democracy 鈥� running a cynical, self-serving playbook where Californians are an afterthought and power is the only priority.鈥�

California Democrats hold 43 of the state鈥檚 52 House seats, and the state has some of the most competitive House seats.

Outside Newsom's news conference Thursday, U.S.聽聽conducted patrols, drawing condemnation from the governor and others.

鈥淲e鈥檙e here making Los Angeles a safer place since we don鈥檛 have politicians that will do that,鈥� Gregory Bovino, chief of the patrol鈥檚 El Centro, California, sector, told a reporter with KTTV in Los Angeles. He said he didn鈥檛 know Newsom was inside nearby.