Republicans Propose Splitting California Into Two States Amid Redistricting Push
Republican lawmakers in California are backing a sweeping new proposal that would allow 35 inland counties to secede from the Golden State and form a state of their own — a dramatic rebuke of decades of Democrat dominance in Sacramento.
Assembly Minority Leader James Gallagher (R-Yuba City) rolled out the plan Wednesday at a press conference in Sacramento, unveiling a map for what he’s calling “The Two State Solution.”
Filed as Assembly Joint Resolution 23, the measure invokes Article IV, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution, which allows new states to be admitted with the approval of both Congress and the state legislature. While Democrats hold supermajorities in both chambers, the proposal highlights growing frustration in rural and inland California, where residents say they’ve been politically silenced by progressive coastal elites.
The legislation’s text reads, in part, as follows:
WHEREAS, California, the most populous state in the nation, has nearly six times the average population of the 50 states. However, this population is highly concentrated in certain urban and coastal areas, particularly in southern California; and…
WHEREAS, As the nation’s third largest state by geography, California spans an area more than twice the size of the average state…
WHEREAS, The right of a people to self-determination through the creation of a new state has long been a fundamental principle of American democracy and is consistent with the principles of federalism as outlined in the United States Constitution; and
WHEREAS, Dividing California into two smaller states would better serve the citizens by fostering governance that is more responsive and representative.
Gallagher said the effort is about fairness and survival for communities outside of Los Angeles and San Francisco.
“I want to take a step back from all of the chaos we had and talk about the forgotten people of California,” Gallagher said. “Whether you are from the North State, Central Valley or the Inland Empire, life has become harder and completely unaffordable. We have been overlooked for far too long, and now they are trying to rip away what little representation we have left.”
The proposed new state would include about 10 million people, stretching from Siskiyou County in the north through the Central Valley and down into Southern California’s Inland Empire. Coastal counties, including San Francisco and Los Angeles, would remain under the current California government.
Gallagher pointed to skyrocketing utility bills, punishing trucking regulations, housing costs, and burdensome environmental mandates as reasons inland Californians can no longer afford to be tied to Democrat policies. He also blasted Sacramento’s reintroduction of gray wolves, which he said has devastated ranchers.
Adding urgency, Gallagher said Democrats are preparing to ram through Proposition 50, a measure that would redraw congressional maps to give Democrats five additional House seats — effectively nullifying the gains Republicans made in Texas.
Gallagher argued that inland Californians are being pushed to the breaking point:
“It’s time to secede from California because of a Legislature that has done nothing to make the state more affordable.”
Historically, the idea of splitting California is not new. In 1859, voters actually approved dividing the state, but the Civil War halted congressional action. Today, conservatives say the imbalance of power is worse than ever, with deep-blue coastal elites dictating policy for everyone else.
While Gov. Gavin Newsom and Democrat leaders have not yet responded, the proposal forces a spotlight on what millions of Californians already feel — that their voices are being ignored in favor of progressive policies that prioritize urban special interests over working families.
As President Trump has repeatedly said, America’s future depends on restoring power to forgotten communities and resisting the radical overreach of the left. Gallagher’s “Two State Solution” embodies that fight inside one of the bluest states in the nation.