(KTLA) — A spokesperson for California Gov. Gavin Newsom called a new GOP-led effort to split the state into two parts a “stunt that will go nowhere.”
A statement to NewsNation affiliate KTLA was released following the announcement of a joint resolution authored by Republican State Assembly leader James Gallagher, which calls for the state’s inland counties to form their own state separate from the major population centers on the coast.
The Republican-led effort is in response to Newsom’s proposal to redraw the state’s congressional maps to combat similar efforts in Texas that could potentially shift the political balance in Congress significantly in favor of the GOP. Gallagher is among the state’s most outspoken opponents to Newsom’s redistricting plans.
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In a terse statement rebuking Gallagher’s resolution, Newsom spokesperson Brandon Richards said the effort was an act of political theater that was doomed to fail and antithetical to the values of the state.
“A person who seeks to split California does not deserve to hold office in the Golden State,” Richards said.
The “two-state solution” pitched by California Republicans in response to Gov. Newsom’s redistricting proposals. (CA Assemblymember Gallagher’s Office)
Gallagher held a news conference Wednesday morning alongside other state leaders from the Republican party to formally announce Assembly Joint Resolution 23, which calls for a new state made up of 35 inland counties with a population of more than 10 million.
“Whether you are from the North State, Central Valley, or the Inland Empire, life has become harder and completely unaffordable,” Gallagher said. “We have been overlooked for far too long, and now they are trying to rip away what little representation we have left.”
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Gallagher continued by saying that the only way he sees that those regions can “obtain proper attention” is by pursuing statehood and breaking away from the majority liberal coastal communities.
“We will not be subject to a state that deprives us of a fair voice,” Gallagher said. “Gavin, let my people go.”
California GOP Assembly leader James Gallagher presents his resolution to split California into two parts during a news conference on Aug. 27, 2025. (Assm. Gallagher’s Office)
Although highly unlikely to go anywhere, the effort to split the state in two distinct parts would have major, nationwide ramifications that would cripple California’s influence in the federal government.
Los Angeles County’s neighbors, Kern, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, are among the counties included in Gallagher’s resolution.
Some Republican leaders in San Bernardino County, the largest county in the state by size, have previously floated the idea of branching off from California. In 2022, voters approved a proposal to study the potential of seceding and forming its own state.
That effort was also considered a long shot.
