From New York to California, the Resistance Rises

They tried to shut us down; instead, they unleashed a rebellion.

On Wednesday night, Texas Republicans rammed through racist gerrymandered maps in a chamber with locked doors under police surveillance. They believed they had delivered the killing blow to American democracy; that their voter suppression, intimidation, and rigging of districts would stand unchallenged. They thought wrong.

What they awakened was a sleeping giant: a coast-to-coast rebellion of governors, lawmakers, courts, and citizens who refuse to let democracy die in darkness. This isn’t politics as usual. This is the moment Democrats finally said: enough.

Texas Democrats: Profiles in Courage

While Republicans hid behind locked doors and threatened civil arrest, Texas Democrats showed real courage. For two weeks, they left the state; not in retreat, but in resistance. They broke quorum, disrupted Trump’s timeline, and forced the nation to witness authoritarian tactics in daylight.

Rep. Nicole Collier became the face of resistance, spending three nights on the House floor rather than submit to police surveillance. When Republicans demanded she sign a “permission slip” to track her every movement, she answered as every American should: “I refuse to sign away my dignity.”

When Rep. Charlie Geren threatened arrest, Collier didn’t flinch. When they locked the chamber doors, she livestreamed the intimidation. When they tried to break her spirit, she tore up their slip and declared it “a sleepover for democracy.”

These were not empty gestures; they ignited a national movement. Texas Democrats didn’t just delay Trump’s map; they exposed Republican authoritarianism, rallied Democratic leaders, and inspired activists and courts nationwide.

They haven’t given up. Neither should we.

Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer told the nation:

“Texas Republicans doing the bidding of President Trump are seeking a deeply cynical map aimed at the heart of the minority community. This isn’t a debate about red shirts versus blue shirts, and that is not how this process works.”

Rep. John Bucy was blunt:

“This is Donald Trump’s map. It deliberately manufactures five more Republican seats because Trump knows voters are rejecting his agenda. Instead of respecting that rejection, he’s changing the rules. This isn’t democracy; it’s authoritarianism in real time.”

Newsom and Hochul: Fire Meets Fire

The Texas vote wasn’t an ending; it was a beginning. Within hours, two of America’s most powerful Democratic governors showed Trump’s coup would not go unanswered.

Governor Gavin Newsom gave Greg Abbott the words he deserved: “Congratulations—you will now go down in history as one of Donald Trump’s most loyal lapdogs.” Then came the declaration that should chill every Republican spine: “It’s on, Texas.”

Newsom didn’t just tweet; he acted. California’s legislature is voting today on legislation to flip five Republican congressional seats, neutralizing Trump’s Texas theft. This isn’t defense; it’s offense. Proposition 50 goes before voters November 4. If it passes, Trump’s gerrymandered advantage disappears overnight.

Governor Kathy Hochul was equally fierce: “Game on.” Weeks earlier, she hosted Texas Democrats in Albany and warned: “This is a war. We are at war. The gloves are off. Bring it on.”

She called Trump’s scheme what it is: “a legal insurrection against our Capitol.” She vowed New York would meet him on the battlefield and outmaneuver him at his own game.

As Newsom put it: “This is the rule of Don versus the rule of law.” They’re not playing by the old rules, because Trump shredded them.

Barack Obama endorsed this strategy as “a responsible approach” to counter “an authoritarian anti-democratic effort.” When even a former president says fight fire with fire, the moment demands nothing less than total resistance.

The Courts Are Joining the Resistance

The battle for fair representation isn’t confined to Texas and California. This week, the Mississippi Supreme Court ordered the legislature to redraw its districts after finding the maps illegally diluted Black voting power.

That legal victory is more than regional; it proves the fight for democracy is winnable. Resistance yields results. If Mississippi can deliver a win for Black voters, every state can—if we commit, organize, and refuse silence in the face of injustice.

Your Democracy, Your Fight

Here’s the truth they fear: we can win.

Trump and his GOP allies are rigging the system because they’re losing. They’re stealing seats because they can’t win them fairly. They’re locking doors because they can’t face voters honestly.

But their desperation is our opportunity.

California voters hold the key November 4. Your vote on Proposition 50 could erase Trump’s theft in Texas. Polls show this race is winnable, but only if we fight.

Contact your representatives. Demand they back redistricting reform and condemn Texas’s tactics.

Find your U.S. House member

Donate to the National Democratic Redistricting Committee. Every dollar funds lawsuits, supports candidates, and builds the infrastructure to win.

NDRC donate

Visualize the problem with Dave’s Redistricting App and share what fair maps look like.

Equip your community using the League of Women Voters’ Action Kit.

Support bold reform like the [Fair Representation Act (H.R. 3863)], which calls for independent commissions, ranked-choice voting, and multi-member districts.

The autocrats counted on our complacency. Instead, they got our rebellion.

From Nicole Collier’s courage in Texas to Newsom’s offensive in California, Hochul’s defiance in New York, and Mississippi’s ruling for Black voters, Democrats are finally fighting with the urgency the moment demands.

The question isn’t whether we can stop Trump’s coup; it’s whether you’ll join the fight to save democracy.

The rebellion starts now. Choose your side.