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Governor Gavin Newsom argues that his push to redraw California’s congressional districts in the middle of a decade is a valiant attempt to stop President Donald Trump’s attempt to seize power.
Newsom, who appears to be getting closer to running for president in 2028, wants to change the state’s 53 districts such that, in the 2026 elections, five or six seats currently held by Republicans will go to Democrats.
If it is successful, Texas Republicans’ attempts to gerrymander its districts in an attempt to obtain a comparable number of seats will be negated. In order to prevent Democrats from taking control in 2026, Trump has called for mid-decade redistricting in Texas and other red states, where Republicans currently have a razor-thin majority in the House of Representatives.
Democratic lawmakers have left Texas, leaving the issue in limbo, although it’s unclear how long they can stay. Last week, while talking up action in California that would need to be approved by voters in a special election in November, Newsom hosted several Democrats from Texas.
I believe it will be approved by the electorate. “I believe that the voters are aware of the stakes,” Newsom stated on Friday. America’s most anti-Trump state is where we reside.
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Texas Democrats embrace Newsom s redistricting rebuttal as California draws new map
Perhaps, but it will be more difficult for Democrats to gerrymander California’s districts than it is for Republicans in Texas.
Redistricting is governed by the legislature in Texas, as it is in the majority of states. Republicans control 25 of its 38 seats, Democrats have 12, and there is one vacancy according to the most recent maps, which were adopted following the 2020 census.
It’s ironic that Democrats do significantly better in Texas than Republicans do in California, where, according to maps created by an impartial panel, the GOP only controls nine of the state’s 53 seats. Supported by Democratic lawmakers, Newsom is urging voters to reject the commission’s designs for up to three election cycles and accept a new plan that includes more Democratic districts.
The proposal, which has not been made public, would have only four days to act under existing law if Texas moves forward, and the California Legislature would have to put it on the ballot when they return from summer break next week. One must presume that the initiative will be on the ballot, though, given the Legislature has frequently exempted itself from ballot measure deadlines.
For Newsom, that’s the easy part. Despite Trump’s unpopularity in California, he would still need to win over people who are merely ambivalent, according to private polling.
Charles Munger Jr., a wealthy scientist who funded two ballot attempts to establish the commission, says he will sponsor an opposition campaign, while former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who pushed for the establishment of an independent redistricting committee, says he will oppose Newsom’s plan.
Considering the stakes, it is likely that Democrats would match Trump and Republicans in flooding the state with opposition campaign funds, with additional funding coming from Democratic allies like labor unions.
Legal challenges could also arise for Newsom, including disagreements over the data he uses to create the new districts.
The 2020 census, which estimated California’s population at 39,538,223, was used by the state commission. The Department of Finance’s demographic unit’s most recent estimate is 39,529,000, which is a very little change. According to the state’s estimations, there are variations within the state as well, with inland areas typically experiencing population growth and coastal counties typically experiencing population declines.
According to federal legislation, districts must have an equal population within specific bounds, but they also cannot deny rights to protected ethnic groups.
All of these elements might serve as the foundation for legal action, possibly with the involvement of Trump’s Department of Justice. The California Legislature’s prior redistricting attempt was hampered by the potential of federal intervention following the 2000 census, which prevented Democrats from creating partisan maps.
Even if Newsom wins support from voters this year, his plan might not be implemented in 2026 due to protracted litigation. This is only the beginning of the game.
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Democracy be damned: Texas and California plot dueling congressional gerrymanders
They worked with the U.S. in Afghanistan. Now Trump could return them to the Taliban
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