Newly elected California Congressman James Gallagher, a Republican, is reviving calls to split California into two separate states, one dominated by the largely Democratic coastal elite, and another representing the rest of the state, which leans heavily Republican.
Northern California counties vote on splitting into TWO states pic.twitter.com/wnfQqgxse2
— TaraBull (@TaraBull) May 26, 2026
Did you know there’s a proposal in the State Legislature to split California into two states? 🤔
— 209 Times (@209TimesCA) May 19, 2026
AR23 is currently on-going and seeks to do just that. According to Ballotpedia, Assembly Minority Leader Gallagher introduced his two-state proposal as Assembly Joint Resolution 23… pic.twitter.com/HI1u43Ht7q
“I think we have to seriously consider whether or not we want to continue as a part of a state like that, right? And that maybe we want our own self-determination,” Gallagher said during an interview with KCRA News' Ashley Zavala.
“I don’t think this is something that would happen overnight, but I do think it is something that should be a serious discussion."
“If it continues to move forward, I think we do look at taking that next step, maybe it’s introducing some federal legislation providing for that federal consent,” he added.
The effort, which resembles the "State of Jefferson Movement," was revived as the state pushed Proposition 50, which removed control of congressional districting from an independent body and handed it to the state legislature, allowing the supermajority to gerrymander the state to lean even more Democratic than it already does. Rep. Gallagher argued that secession is a clear way to ensure the voices of right-leaning Californians are actually heard.
“When you are proposing to take away our very voice, our very ability to elect a person of our choice, when you put party over people, then I think we have to seriously consider whether or not we want to continue as a part of a state like that,” he said.
“Many people in Northern California feel like we want something better than what we’ve been given,” Gallagher said. “And I think other people in this state, as well, as I said, the Central Valley and the Inland Empire, for example, feel very overlooked and underrepresented by the state of California.”
It remains unclear whether the movement will gain traction, as such efforts typically don't. If Republicans can continue their passionate campaigns against the single-party state through figures like Steve Hilton and Spencer Pratt, secession might become increasingly unnecessary, though the success of Republican candidates remains doubtful.
Rep. Gallagher was recently elected to Congress in a special election to replace Doug LaMalfa, who passed away in January at age 65.
