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California Common Cause advisory board members quit in gerrymandering fallout

California Common Cause advisory board members quit in gerrymandering fallout

Politico6 hours ago
It's a fraught moment for an organization that has historically fought the kinds of partisan map-drawing that California Democrats are now pursuing.
California Democrats have united behind a bid to redraw the state's House maps. | AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez
By Jeremy B. White
08/20/2025 09:00 AM EDT
Multiple California Common Cause advisory board members have resigned as the organization grapples with its response to a national gerrymandering battle, three people familiar with the situation confirmed.
The departures speak to a fraught moment for an organization that has historically supported independent redistricting and fought the kinds of partisan map-drawing that California Democrats are now pursuing. Common Cause — the national group — last week reversed on its previous position and said it would not oppose California's effort to counter Texas.
It was not clear late Tuesday the total number of board members who tendered their resignations, though Common Cause president and CEO Virginia Kase Solomón said in a statement to Playbook that members of the board exited 'after expressing disagreement with the fairness criteria' the organization's national board created as guardrails around the kinds of mid-decade redistricting California is pursuing.
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