Could Orange County join a new state? That's one California Republican legislator's proposal

Kaitlyn Schallhorn, The Orange County Register on Sep 10, 2025

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Republican Assembly Leader James Gallagher is behind a long-shot effort to split California into two separate states.

He now thinks Orange County should be added to the new proposed state, comprised mostly of inland counties.

Gallagher floated his California split proposal two weeks ago, amid legislative Democrats’ efforts to advance a midcycle congressional redistricting proposal. Voters in November, in a special election, will decide whether to enact partisan maps for the next three congressional elections — a move proponents say is meant to counter similar gerrymandering efforts in Republican-led states, including Texas and Missouri.

Gallagher’s original plan kept all of California’s coastal counties, except Del Norte, in one state with the others in a second state.

In an X post on Wednesday, the Assembly GOP leader said he thinks Orange County should move into that inland state.

“In addition to being an iconic California county, Orange would be so severely (gerrymandered) under Prop. 50 that they would lose representation to L.A.,” Gallagher, R-East Nicolaus, said in a post on X. “We cannot allow that to happen! They deserve representation that is true to their communities and interests.”

The proposed new congressional boundary maps, should voters approve them, would make several changes to Orange County’s districts.

There would be eight districts that include at least a portion of the county, rather than just six as it is now. Two of those proposed districts — the 38th District and 41st District — would mostly encompass communities to the north in Los Angeles County while picking up a few of OC’s cities.

One of the most talked-about changes is the merger of Huntington Beach and parts of Newport Beach into a congressional district anchored by Long Beach. Huntington Beach and Newport Beach are included in a district represented by a Democratic member of Congress now — but it’s one that also includes other Orange County coastal cities of Laguna Beach and Seal Beach.

Registered Democrats hold a narrow advantage in Orange County, as of the latest voter registration tally in February by the secretary of state. Democrats account for 36.4% of registered voters in the county, while Republicans make up 34.3% and no party preference voters 23%.

The joint resolution that Gallagher introduced, calling for a 51st state, is co-authored by several other Republicans in the statehouse, including Southern California Assembly members Leticia Castillo, Tom Lackey and Kate Sanchez.

But in order for the inland counties to establish their own statehood, the idea would have to be approved by both houses of the state legislature. Congress would also have to vote for the formation of a new state.

It’s a highly unlikely proposal.

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(Staff writer Linh Tat contributed to this report.)