Governor Gavin Newsom of California is spearheading efforts for a redistricting plan that could flip five additional congressional seats to Democrats, aiming to counter the redistricting efforts driven by President Donald Trump in Texas.

Mr Newsom was going toe-to-toe with Mr Trump, signing legislation that will ensure voters have a say in redrawing congressional maps to favour the Democrats. The map will be valid until 2030, when a U.S. census is expected.

“I’m eager to sign a bill that no other governor in U.S. history has ever signed — a bill that will put the maps in front of the voters,” Mr Newsom said on Thursday.

Despite absconding from the state for two weeks to avoid forming a quorum, Texas Democratic lawmakers —already in the minority— on Wednesday succumbed to the redistricting drive that will add five Republican seats to a House where they were already disadvantaged.

The gerrymandered map is expected to give the Republicans an edge as midterm elections near.

Mr Newsom said he was taking a page from Mr Trump’s playbook to engineer a counterweight in California, where Republicans remain outnumbered.

However, unlike Texas, voters in California will need to cast a ballot, potentially in 2025, for or against the map before it reaches the governor’s desk to be signed into law. The audacious Mr Newsom, who has repeatedly called Mr Trump’s bluff, is well-positioned to be tapped as the Democratic presidential candidate in the next elections.

“This bill gives voters a choice — a choice to keep the current districts or adopt maps to counter the actions of MAGA extremists in Texas who are obediently working to tip the scales for President Trump,” said Lena Gonzalez, California Senate Majority Leader.

Republicans in the state have vowed to challenge the plan in court, branding it a “Gavinmander”.

“We’re going to do everything we can to stop this Gavinmander from moving forward,” said James Gallagher, the California assembly Republican leader.