Gavin Newsom urges Trump to abandon Texas redistricting effort in letter

Message comes after Texas Democratic lawmakers stymied another GOP effort to gain more seats at president's behest

Texas Democrats once again stymied a Republican effort to redraw the state's congressional maps at the behest of Donald Trump and Gavin Newsom, the California governor, urged the president to stand down and defuse the redistricting arms race that has spread across the country.

Enough Texas Democrats remained outside of the state on Monday to deny the Republican-led state legislature the quorum necessary to proceed with Trump's desired congressional map. Dozens of Democratic state lawmakers left the state on Sunday, taking refuge in blue states such as Illinois and New York. They have spent the last week working to raise awareness and rally support for their efforts to block the Republican redistricting plan.