To counter Texas, Newsom suggests special election to gerrymander California
Newsom's comments come after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced plans for the Republican-dominated Texas Legislature to draw new congressional maps in a special legislative session. Texas, like other states, redrew its maps after the 2020 census. New map-drawing normally wouldn't happen until the next census in 2030 absent a successful lawsuit forcing a state to redo them. But the New York Times has reported Trump's political advisers are pushing for Texas to redraw its maps ahead of the midterms to be more favorable to Republicans.
Texas, the second-most populous state, could theoretically tip the balance of power in favor of Republicans if it can find a way to redraw its maps to give its party a further advantage in the state. Republicans hold 25 of the 38 congressional districts in Texas.
California, the most populous state, is the only state with more congressional seats. Democrats hold 43 of California's 52 seats.
It's currently much easier for Republicans who control the Texas Legislature to redraw their districts to favor their party than a similar move would be for Newsom. That's because California voters in 2010 gave the power to draw congressional districts to an independent redistricting commission. Though Democrats dominate California government, they do not dominate the redistricting commission. By law, the commission comprises five Democrats, five Republicans and four commissioners not affiliated with either party.
Changing the state law creating the independent redistricting commission would require voter approval, which Newsom said he's considering. He said he's talked to state lawmakers about putting a measure on the ballot and calling a special election asking voters to approve it.
'I think we will win that,' Newsom said on the liberal podcast Pod Save America. 'I think people understand what's at stake in California.'
A statewide special election would be costly — the last one in 2021 cost $200 million in public money. And the 2010 law giving the independent commission power to draw congressional districts was popular. More than 60% of voters supported the law.
Newsom also suggested another possible avenue, which would involve interpreting state law as allowing the Legislature to create its own maps in between the post-census redistricting that the independent commission does every 10 years. It's not clear whether such a move would hold up in court.
Currently, Republicans hold 220 seats in the House compared with Democrats' 212, a number that shrunk in recent months after three Democrats died in office, leaving vacancies. But that majority will be tough for the GOP to hold in the midterms, when a president's party typically has trouble retaining seats.
Newsom said he thinks that redistricting should be done by independent commissions across the country. But he argued that Republicans are not playing fair by trying to redraw the maps.
'These guys are playing by a different set of rules,' he said. 'From my perspective, if we're gonna play fair in a world that is wholly unfair, we may have the higher moral ground, but the ground is shifting from underneath us.'
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Associated Press
16 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Republicans can't stop talking about Joe Biden. There are risks for both parties in that approach
ATLANTA (AP) — It's been six months since Joe Biden left the Oval Office. Republicans, including President Donald Trump, can't stop talking about him. The House has launched investigations asserting that Biden's closest advisers covered up a physical and mental decline during the 82-year-old Democrat's presidency. The Senate has started a series of hearings focused on his mental fitness. And Trump's White House has opened its own investigation into the Biden administration's use of the presidential autopen, which Trump has called 'one of the biggest scandals in the history of our country.' It all fits with Trump's practice of blaming his predecessors for the nation's ills. Just last week, he tried to deflect criticism of his administration's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking case by casting blame on others, including Biden. Turning the spotlight back on the former president carries risks for both parties heading into the 2026 midterms. The more Republicans or Democrats talk about Biden, the less they can make arguments about the impact of Trump's presidency — positive or negative — especially his sweeping new tax cut and spending law that is reshaping the federal government. 'Most Americans consider Joe Biden to be yesterday's news,' Republican pollster Whit Ayres said. Republicans want Biden's autopen to become a flashpoint Seeking to avenge his 2020 loss to Biden, Trump mocked his rival's age and fitness incessantly in 2024, even after Biden dropped his reelection bid and yielded to then-Vice President Kamala Harris. He and other Republicans seemed poised to spend the summer touting their new tax, spending and policy package. But Trump, now 79 and facing his own health challenges, has refused to let up on Biden, and his allies in the party have followed suit. Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden of Wisconsin called the Biden White House's use of the autopen 'a massive scandal,' while Republican Rep. Nick Lalota insists his New York constituents 'are curious as to what was happening during President Biden's days.' White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt recently confirmed the administration would pursue an investigation of the Biden administration's use of the presidential autopen. Trump and other Republicans have questioned whether Biden was actually running the country and suggested aides abused a tool that has long been a routine part of signing presidentially approved actions. 'We deserve to get to the bottom of it,' Leavitt said. Biden has responded to the criticism by issuing a statement saying he was, in fact, making the decisions during his presidency and that any suggestion otherwise 'is ridiculous and false.' Congressional committees investigate On Capitol Hill, the House Oversight Committee has convened hearings on use of the autopen and Biden's fitness for office. Van Orden cited the Constitution's Article II vesting authority solely with the president. 'It doesn't say chief of staff. It doesn't say an auto pen,' he said. The House panel subpoenaed Biden's physician and a top aide to former first lady Jill Biden. Both invoked Fifth Amendment protections that prevent people from being forced to testify against themselves in government proceedings. 'There was no there there,' said Democratic Rep. Wesley Bell of Missouri, a member of the committee who called the effort 'an extraordinary waste of time.' The committee's chairman, Rep. James Comer, wants to hear from former White House chiefs of staff Ron Klain and Jeff Zients; former senior advisers Mike Donilon and Anita Dunn; and other former top aides Bruce Reed, Steve Ricchetti and Annie Tomasini, among others. Republicans confirmed multiple dates for the sessions through late September, ensuring it will remain in the headlines. Investigations could crowd out GOP efforts to define Trump positively That GOP schedule comes as both parties work feverishly to define Trump's start to his second term. His so-called 'One Big Beautiful Bill' is a mix of tax cuts, border security measures and cuts to safety net programs such as Medicaid, a joint state-federal insurance program for lower-income Americans. Polls suggest some individual measures are popular while others are not and that the GOP faces headwinds on tilting the public in favor of the overall effort. A recent poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that about two-thirds of U.S. adults view the bill as a win for the wealthy and another found that only about one-quarter of U.S. adults felt Trump's policies have helped them. In the policy survey, he failed to earn majority support on any of the major issues, including the economy, immigration, government spending and health care. Immigration, especially, had been considered a major strength for Trump politically. It is 'rather tone deaf,' said Rep. Wesley Bell, a Missouri Democrat, for Republicans to go after Biden given those circumstances. 'Americans want us to deal with the issues that are plaguing our country now … the high cost of living, cost of food, the cost of housing, health care,' Bell said, as he blasted the GOP for a deliberate 'distraction' from what challenges most U.S. households. The effort also comes with Trump battling his own supporters over the Justice Department's decision not to publicly release additional records related to the Epstein case. 'The Epstein saga is more important to his base than whatever happened to Joe Biden,' said Ayres, the GOP pollster. Even Lalota, the New York congressman, acknowledged a balancing act with the Biden inquiries. 'My constituents care most about affordability and public safety,' Lalota said. 'But this is an important issue nonetheless.' Democrats don't want to talk about Biden With Republicans protecting a narrow House majority, every hotly contested issue could be seen as determinative in the 2026 midterm elections. That puts added pressure on Republicans to retain Trump's expanded 2024 coalition, when he increased support among Black and Hispanic voters, especially men, over the usual Republican levels. But that's considerably harder without Trump himself on the ballot. That could explain Republican efforts to keep going after Biden given how unpopular he is with Trump's core supporters. Democrats, meanwhile, point to their success in the 2018 midterms during Trump's first presidency, when they reclaimed the House majority on the strength of moderate voters, including disaffected Republicans. They seem confident that Republicans' aggressiveness about Biden does not appeal to that swath of the electorate. But even as they praise Biden's accomplishments as president, Democrats quietly admit they don't want to spend time talking about a figure who left office with lagging approval ratings and forced his party into a late, difficult change at the top of the ticket. Democratic Rep. Don Beyer of Virginia said Biden was productive while acknowledging he 'was not at the top of his game because of his age.' He said Democrats want to look forward, most immediately on trying to win control of the House and make gains in the Senate. 'And then who's our standard bearer in 2028?' Beyer said. 'And how do we minimize the Trump damage with what we have right now?' ___ Brown reported from Washington.
Politico
42 minutes ago
- Politico
New Salazar challenger talks public safety, immigration
IN MEMORIAM: State Rep. JOE CASELLO (D-Boynton Beach), an Air Force veteran, a firefighter for more than three decades and a former Boynton Beach city commissioner, died July 18. He was 73 and had planned to run for Palm Beach County Commissioner in 2026. His family is holding a private ceremony at their home in Massachusetts and a public memorial service will be announced in the coming weeks, Florida House Democrats said. Good morning and welcome to Monday. Just a few days ago, attorney ROBIN PEGUERO became the latest Democrat to line up a challenge to GOP Rep. MARÍA ELVIRA SALAZAR. Florida's diverse 27th Congressional District has become a key flashpoint in the immigration debate ahead of the 2026 midterms. Located in South Florida and a roughly 50-mile drive from 'Alligator Alcatraz,' it runs from Cutler Bay through Coral Gables and Little Havana, then up to portions of downtown Miami. The district went heavily Republican in 2024. President DONALD TRUMP won it by 15 points, while Salazar was reelected by nearly 21 points despite being a key campaign target for Democrats. Yet the seat looks attractive to Democrats anew; it's one of just three in Florida the Democratic House's campaign arm has targeted to flip in the 2026 cycle. Other Democrats running include former Key Biscayne Mayor MIKE DAVEY, accountant ALEXANDER FORNINO and entrepreneur RICHARD LAMONDIN. Peguero is a first-time candidate. His father is Dominican and his mother is Ecuadorian. He grew up in Hialeah, then went to Harvard for both undergraduate studies and law school. And like Salazar — who is of Cuban descent and was a longtime Spanish language TV journalist — Peguero, 39, is fully bilingual. He worked as a Hill staffer and as an attorney for the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot. He now teaches criminal law at St. Thomas University Law School in Miami Gardens. 'I've actually been a staffer longer than the congresswoman has worked in Congress,' he told Playbook in an interview, 'so I know how to get things done.' Trump's immigration crackdown is clearly an issue affecting the Hispanic-majority district Salazar represents: The congresswoman was part of the group that toured 'Alligator Alcatraz' on July 12, according to others who attended. She also introduced bipartisan legislation last week to allow immigrants who've lived in the US for at least five years to be able to apply for work authorization for seven years, but not achieve citizenship. Through a statement provided by her campaign, Salazar said 'no one pressures me' regarding her position on immigration, adding that she answered to her constituents, God and her conscience. The legislation she introduced last week, she said, would 'seal the border, protect our economy and give dignity to those who've earned it. No amnesty. No handouts.' 'Fixing immigration is a pocketbook issue,' she continued. 'Our workers, our businesses and our communities are demanding real solutions, not political games.' Peguero says Salazar should be confronting Trump over instances in which people without criminal records have been swept up in the immigration crackdown. But he also raised his 'law and order' background that includes parents who served in the Army and the years he spent in Miami working as a homicide prosecutor. He argues the US borders need to be secured and that violent criminals need to serve their sentences then be deported. Public safety, he stressed, is one of those 'back to basics' issues for voters. 'I put violent criminals behind bars,' he said. 'These are folks terrorizing our neighborhoods, and they don't deserve the privilege of being in this country.' Peguero is also emphasizing his stance as a capitalist, as Republicans have continued to cast Democrats as 'socialists' each election cycle. 'Communism has been horrific. It has led to the death and the struggles, starvation, impoverishment for so many people throughout our history, it is absolutely not the answer — neither communism nor socialism,' he said. 'And so I just got to talk about me, how I was raised, and where I come from.' Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget that Playbook should look at? Get in touch at: kleonard@ and @leonardkl. ... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ... WHAT TO WATCH — BLAISE INGOGLIA will be formally sworn-in as Florida's next chief financial officer at a noon ceremony being held in the Cabinet room of the Florida Capitol. Gov. RON DESANTIS announced last week that he was tapping the Republican legislator and longtime ally to take the place of JIMMY PATRONIS, who stepped down from the post to run for Congress. DeSantis and first lady CASEY DESANTIS are expected to be on hand for the swearing-in ceremony, which will be followed by a private reception at the Governor's Club. Florida has been without a full-time CFO since April. The chief financial officer is a member of the Florida Cabinet and plays a key role in regulation of Florida's banking and insurance industries. It also comes with an annual salary of nearly $140,000. — Gary Fineout ALSO TODAY — US District Judge KATHLEEN WILLIAMS has called a 1 p.m. status conference over the lawsuit involving environmental concerns at 'Alligator Alcatraz.' — 'The tab for Florida's immigrant prison in the Everglades is $250 million — and counting,' by Jason Garcia of Seeking Rents. DESANTIS ON EPSTEIN FILES — The governor told Fox News Channel's BRIAN KILMEADE on Sunday that the Trump administration should release the files in the case because he believes JEFFREY EPSTEIN and GHISLAINE MAXWELL didn't act alone, and that the public wants to see others brought to justice, reports Florida Politics A.G. Gancarksi. DESANTIS V. NEWSOM FODDER — California appears to have supplanted Florida as the state with the weakest property insurance market, with newly released data showing unprecedented numbers of Californians cannot find coverage. California's property insurance crisis has grown increasingly dire in recent months while Florida has staged a stunning turnaround. In Florida, the insurance market is starting to benefit from laws enacted in 2022 after claims from major storms put roughly a dozen local insurance companies out of business, experts said. — POLITICO's E&E News' Thomas Frank AHEAD OF THE WEEKEND — DeSantis announced Friday that federal officials are allowing the state to take over work on some components of an Everglades reservoir construction to speed up its completion by five years. DeSantis said the agreement with the Department of the Army signed Friday would accelerate Everglades restoration and move up the EAA reservoir completion date from 2034 to 2029. 'This is a really, really big deal,' DeSantis said, adding, 'We have a great partner with the Trump administration and the Department of the Army.' — Bruce Ritchie FLORIDA'S 10TH EXECUTION — DeSantis on Friday signed a death warrant for convicted murderer KAYLE BARRINGTON BATES, who's set to become the 10th person to die by capital punishment in Florida this year, reports Jim Saunders of News Service of Florida. Bates is convicted of abducting and killing JANET WHITE in 1982. VAN LENT IMPRISONED — 'A longtime Everglades scientist was handcuffed in a Miami courtroom and taken to jail [last week] to begin serving a 10-day jail sentence in a case that divided the normally tightknit Florida environmental community,' reports Jenny Staletovich of WLRN. 'The sentence caps a three-year battle between hydrologist Tom Van Lent and his former bosses at the Everglades Foundation, who accused him of stealing trade secrets when he quit in 2022.' PENINSULA AND BEYOND — ''The nightmare is over': Venezuelans celebrate release of men held in El Salvador,' by Verónica Egui Brito of the Miami Herald. — 'West Palm Beach removing LGBTQ+ rainbow crosswalk under orders from Trump, DeSantis administrations,' by Anthony Man of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. CAMPAIGN MODE ABORTION RIGHTS FLASHPOINT — Democratic women who support abortion rights launched a defense over the weekend of Democratic gubernatorial candidate DAVID JOLLY after ANNA HOCHKAMMER, the executive director of Florida Women's Freedom Coalition, questioned his commitment and record on the issue in a Miami Herald op-ed. The women — including Fair Districts Florida leader ELLEN FREIDIN, former federal prosecutor JANE MOSCOWITZ, former Rep. and HHS Secretary DONNA SHALALA and retired President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida BARBARA ZDRAVECKY — signed onto a letter published in the Miami Herald on Sunday. They wrote: 'David Jolly told us: 'I voted for Amendment 4. As governor, I would work to enact Amendment 4 into law. I support Roe. I am pro-choice. And as your governor I would veto any legislation that would restrict reproductive healthcare in the state of Florida.'' WHAT DESANTIS IS READING — Former Gov. ANDREW CUOMO joked to business leaders at a Hamptons breakfast that he'll move to Florida if he loses the New York City mayor's race to ZOHRAN MAMDANI. The news caught the attention of DeSantis, who warned on X, 'Don't New York our Florida!' Cuomo is running in the mayoral race as an independent, after losing the Democratic nomination to Mamdani on July 1. TRUMPLANDIA AND THE SWAMP RESCHEDULED — Agriculture Secretary BROOKE ROLLINS is visiting a citrus grove in Felda and holding a press conference at 12:15 p.m. PAM-DEMONIUM — 'Trump has grown weary of defending Attorney General Pam Bondi's handling of the Justice Department's Jeffery Epstein files and wants her to take responsibility for cleaning up the mess, according to four people familiar with White House deliberations,' report Garrett Haake, Matt Dixon, Kelly O'Donnell, Peter Nicholas and Jonathan Allen of NBC News. Key quote: 'I do think that he likes and respects Pam, but she has without question caused some headaches for them,' said one unnamed source. 'At the end of the day, at this point she is almost assuredly is just doing what she is told, so I believe she is very safe, but has had missteps.' DATELINE D.C. TPS EXTENDED FOR HAITIANS — 'Tens of thousands of Haitians living and working in the United States with temporary protections from deportation will now be allowed to remain until at least February 2026 with employment authorization, according to the Department of Homeland Security website,' reports Jacqueline Charles of the Miami Herald. 'The restoration of Haiti's Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, designation comes after a New York federal judge earlier this month blocked the Trump administration's efforts to shave six months off of the protections, which are usually for 18 months.' Rep. SHEILA CHERFILUS-MCCORMICK, the first Haitian-American Democrat in Congress, weighed in: 'Let's be clear: this is the enforcement of the law. Our communities should not have to rely on court orders to be treated with dignity. A stronger path forward begins at home, with permanent protections and immigration reform that centers humanity, not politics.' MORE DETENTION CENTERS LIKE ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ FORMING — ICE is pushing forward with creating more temporary tent detention centers across the US, per internal documents viewed by Michelle Hackman and Elizabeth Findell of The Wall Street Journal. The agency is using a new influx in cash that it got from Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill' to reach 100,000 beds by the end of the year, an increase from the 40,000 that existed when Trump took office. — 'Clearwater man convicted of misdemeanor battery against Rep. Luna staffer,' reports Katelyn Ferral of the Tampa Bay Times. ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN — 'Developer Donald Soffer, who founded Aventura, dies at 92,' reports The Real Deal. WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Republican Party of Florida chair EVAN POWER and MELISSA POWER welcomed baby EVELYN ANN POWER over the weekend. BIRTHDAY: State Sen. Gayle Harrell.
Newsweek
44 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Nine Ways To Suppress African American Votes—the Republican Playbook
Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the interpretation of facts and data. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Give Republican state legislators their due. They work hard to make it as burdensome as possible for African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, and college students to vote in both state and federal elections. To accomplish this, they first have to pretend that voter fraud is widespread. That is hard enough, since the data conclusively show voter fraud to be exceedingly rare. Then, they must claim that their actions are the only way to restore "election integrity." That's even harder, since selectively disenfranchising huge swaths of the eligible voting population would seem to undermine, not promote, election integrity. Finally, they need to pretend that only illegal voters are affected. For that claim, the tens of thousands of disenfranchised U.S. citizens in states like Kansas and Georgia stand awkwardly in the way. Voters hold up their stickers after visiting a polling place to cast their ballots on Nov. 5, 2024, in Austell, Ga. Voters hold up their stickers after visiting a polling place to cast their ballots on Nov. 5, 2024, in Austell, that poll taxes and literacy tests are illegal, suppressing votes is harder still. But Republican legislators have been equal to the task. Here are their nine favorite tricks: 1. Make voter registration harder. Several Republican-controlled states have taken aim at voter registration drives, which account for disproportionately high percentages of Black and Hispanic registrations. A federal appellate court had to strike down a North Carolina law that intentionally targeted would-be Black registrants with "surgical precision." 2. Purge registered voters. Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp, running (successfully) for governor in 2017, purged 107,000 eligible voters from the rolls. In Ohio, failing to return a postcard from the state can cost you the right to vote. 3. Require photo IDs. Although voter impersonation is exceptionally rare (more Americans are struck by lightning), many states require voters to present photo IDs. This requirement disproportionately affects racial minorities. At least four solid red states accept gun licenses but not university IDs. Not coincidentally, college students vote overwhelmingly for Democrats while Republicans are more than twice as likely as Democrats to own guns. 4. Require documents that prove U.S. citizenship. To vote in federal elections, individuals already must swear under penalty of perjury that they are U.S. citizens. Non-U.S. citizen voting, therefore, is virtually unheard of. Who would risk criminal prosecution, imprisonment, and deportation for the miniscule chance that their one vote would swing an election? Nonetheless, in 2022, Republican bills requiring voters to document their U.S. citizenship were pending in at least 10 state legislatures. The U.S. House has now passed a bill that would require such documentation nationwide. But how do you prove you are a U.S. citizen? More than 21 million Americans—predominantly the poor, African Americans, and young people—lack birth certificates and passports. For married women who have changed their surnames, even birth certificates would be insufficient. Moreover, since most of us don't pack birth certificates or passports when we go to shopping malls, political demonstrations, parks, outdoor concerts, places of worship, or the like, requiring documentary proof of U.S. citizenship would make voter registration drives impossible. 5. Slash early voting. Democrats vote early in much greater numbers than Republicans. So Republican legislatures have shortened early voting periods in states all across the country; North Carolina and Wisconsin are among the more extreme examples. In a decades-old tradition called Souls to the Polls, Black churchgoers have resisted voter suppression by traveling together to the polls after Sunday services. Republican legislatures in North Carolina, Wisconsin, and Georgia have responded by drastically curtailing Sunday voting. 6. Limit ballot drop boxes. Ballot drop boxes avoid long postal delays. They are hard as a rock, safely located, and secure against fraud. Their open hours especially ease the burden on working class voters, particularly those who work nights or irregular shifts. They are used disproportionately by Black voters. But a rash of Republican-led states have banned them entirely or severely shrunk their numbers. In 2020, Texas' Harris County—which was 64 percent Black or Hispanic—had one drop box for its 4.7 million people. 7. Restrict third-party delivery of absentee ballots. Third parties frequently deliver other people's ballots. There is no evidence of widespread abuse, and they are a boon to the elderly and the disabled. Native Americans on tribal reservations sometimes live hours from the polls and lack mail service. Black churches often gather their congregants' ballots and deliver them en masse. Republican-controlled states have responded by imposing particularly severe restrictions. 8. Disenfranchise citizens with criminal convictions. The states vary widely as to which crimes disqualify citizens from voting and when voting rights may be restored. As of 2024, some 4,000,000 U.S. citizens were disenfranchised because of criminal convictions, roughly half of them even after fully serving their criminal sentences. A disproportionate number have been African American; five states, all Republican-controlled, have disenfranchised more than 10 percent of their African American adults because of criminal convictions. 9. Selectively close polling stations. Since 2013, when the Supreme Court effectively gutted the heart of the Voting Rights Act, states with hallowed histories of racial discrimination in voting have ravenously reduced the number and hours of their polling stations—disproportionately in counties with large African American populations. Among the results are long lines and major transportation issues for the affected voters. In 2018, the average wait time in precincts where 90 percent of the populations were white was only 5.1 minutes; in contrast, in precincts where over 90 percent of the voters were nonwhite, the average wait time was 32.4 minutes. In some precincts, wait times exceeded five hours. In 2016, these problems induced an estimated 560,000 eligible voters to sit out the election. Republican strategists have also called for closing polling stations on college campuses, especially in swing states with large in-state student populations. This is not democracy. Stephen Legomsky is the John S. Lehmann university professor emeritus at the Washington University School of Law. He is the author of Reimagining the American Union: The Case for Abolishing State Government (Cambridge University Press, 2025). Professor Legomsky served in the Obama administration as chief counsel of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and later as senior counselor to Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson. The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.
