Latest news with #CitizensRedistrictingCommission
Wall Street Journal
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Wall Street Journal
America Needs a Redistricting Cease-Fire
Gov. Gavin Newsom has announced a plan to push aside the independent Citizens Redistricting Commission established by California voters. His express goal is to 'pick up five seats' in Congress and make the state 'a whole lot bluer' by replacing nonpartisan line-drawing with hyperpartisan gerrymandering. Mr. Newsom claims this is a response to the redrawn map Texas Republicans are currently trying to muscle through. The Texans, for their part, claim to be offsetting prior blue-state gerrymanders. A growing number of other states—red and blue—are lining up to follow California and Texas with mid-decade map overhauls of their own.
Boston Globe
4 days ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Trump attacked California's congressional maps. Republicans want to save them.
'I would argue that independent redistricting benefits Republicans in California,' said Matt Rexroad, a Republican political consultant and redistricting expert. Advertisement The commission is receiving more scrutiny as a fierce tit-for-tat over redistricting ricochets across the country. At Trump's request, Texas lawmakers have drafted new maps to help Republicans win five additional seats in the US House of Representatives. Governor Gavin Newsom of California has vowed to respond in kind, by redrawing congressional districts in his state to create more seats that Democrats are likely to win. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Newsom's plan would toss the independent commission's maps through 2030 and replace them with intentionally partisan districts created by Democratic lawmakers. That has California Republicans working to preserve the maps Trump criticized as they try to block Newsom's attempt at a Democratic gerrymander. 'The California Republican Party will fight it in the courts, at the ballot box and in every community,' Corrin Rankin, the party chair, said in a statement. Advertisement She added that Democrats are 'trying to claw back power' that voters took from them when they created the commission. The Citizens Redistricting Commission is made up of five Democrats, five Republicans and four independents. They apply for their positions through a process run by the state auditor that screens out people who have run for office, made political donations or work for elected officials. After whittling down the pool of applicants from each party, the state auditor randomly draws names of the first eight commissioners, who then select the final six. Commissioners are not allowed to consider voters' parties or where incumbents live when determining district boundaries. Arizona, Colorado, and Michigan use a similar system. A few other states have commissions that are appointed by politicians. In most states, though, the party that controls the legislature has the power to draw political maps. Research shows that states with maps drawn by independent commissions or through court intervention are more representative than those in states where politicians control the process. But that does not mean they always wind up being perfectly balanced. An analysis by Planscore, a consortium of redistricting experts affiliated with the Election Law Clinic at Harvard Law School, found that California's system gives Democrats a slight advantage. The model rates maps based on four different measurements, two of which show that California's plan is balanced and two that show it skews in Democrats' favor. Some Republicans, including Vance, have criticized California's system because the share of seats Republicans hold in the House (17 percent) is less than the share of votes Trump won in California last year (38 percent). Steve Hilton, a Republican running for governor of California, said Newsom's proposal would take California 'from a 'rigged' to an 'ultra-rigged' electoral system.' Advertisement But such discrepancies between the share of seats one party holds and the share of votes it receives are not uncommon, experts said, even in states that are not gerrymandered. And the numbers alone do not prove that a system is intentionally biased. 'Partisan advantage is separate from intent,' said Eric McGhee, a senior fellow at the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California, who worked on the Planscore analysis. 'It's not clear that there is purposeful bias in the California system,' he said. He pointed out that California's maps were approved by a unanimous vote of the redistricting commission, including the Republican members, and that commissioners drew the boundaries without looking at data on voters' party affiliation. A different analysis by the Gerrymandering Project, a research group at Princeton University, gave California a grade of B, saying its redistricting plan is 'better than average, with some bias.' The California electorate is heavily Democratic, with registered Democrats outnumbering registered Republicans by nearly 2-1. So giving both parties equal representation on the redistricting commission technically gives Republicans outsize influence, said Matt Barreto, a Democrat, who directs the Voting Rights Project at UCLA. Commissioners are laypeople, not political operatives, and they serve for one round of map-drawing at the start of each decade. They take input from the public in drawing boundaries, and must consider keeping communities together based on their shared interests, such as economic ties or languages spoken. From the perspective of Rexroad, a veteran Republican redistricting expert, California's system has actually been good for his party. Before voters approved the independent commission in 2008, California's maps were drawn by the legislature, with the process dominated by partisanship and politicians' desires to protect their seats. Advertisement And despite its flaws, Rexroad said, that's better than putting politicians in charge. California's commission created several congressional seats that Republicans won that would likely not exist if the state's Democratic-controlled legislature drew the maps, Rexroad said. Many will probably vanish if California enacts Newsom's proposal to counter Texas' Republican gerrymander with a similar move to help Democrats. The plan calls for a ballot measure asking voters to amend the state Constitution to allow the partisan mid-decade redistricting. Lawmakers are scheduled to consider Newsom's proposal the week of Aug. 18. If they approve it, the measure will likely go before voters in a Nov. 4 special election. Newsom has said he wants the state to return to independent redistricting after the 2030 census. The governor gathered Democratic lawmakers for a news conference in Sacramento on Friday to demonstrate their solidarity in favor the plan. On Saturday, he appealed for donations that could be used to fund the redistricting campaign. Meanwhile, the California Republican Party is sending emails requesting donations to fight what it says is Newsom's latest corrupt scheme. Charles Munger, a Republican donor whose father was a billionaire investor, funded campaigns for the 2008 and 2010 ballot measures that created California's independent redistricting system and has said he will back efforts to maintain it on the ballot and in court. This article originally appeared in Advertisement
New York Post
6 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Why Gavin Newsom's wild plans for mid-decade congressional redistricting may blow up in his face
Gavin Newsom is going to war with the voters of California — and they might just hand him his head. The ambitious governor of California says he is trying to end the presidency of Donald Trump two years early with a plan to elect more Democrats to the House of Representatives, offsetting a mid-decade redistricting in Texas. Newsom wants to call a special election to throw out the congressional maps drawn by the independent Citizens Redistricting Commission that voters established using the initiative power. The initiative power in California goes back to 1911, when Republican Gov. Hiram Johnson said the people needed a way to deal with an indolent and corrupt legislature. He was half-governor, half-psychic. Advertisement In 2008, a majority of California voters were disgusted with incumbent politicians in Sacramento drawing self-serving district maps to guarantee their own re-election. Using the initiative power, voters revoked the legislature's map-drawing authority for state offices in 2008 and for congressional districts in 2010. The two ballot measures, Propositions 11 and 20, empowered a California Citizens Redistricting Commission to draw the district lines free from the control of politicians and lobbyists. 3 California Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to call a special election to throw out the congressional maps drawn by the independent Citizens Redistricting Commission that voters established using the initiative power. JOHN G MABANGLO/EPA/Shutterstock One drawback to excluding everyone in politics from serving on the Citizens Redistricting Commission is that the 14-member panel is advised by consultants who work closely with everyone in politics. The new system may not have protected incumbents but it seems to have tilted the playing field toward an ever-more-extreme Democratic party. Voters in California are nowhere near as wild-eyed leftist as the government they've elected. President Trump received 6 million votes in the 2024 election, a little more than 38% of the total vote, but Republicans hold just 17% of the congressional seats, 24% of the California Assembly and 25% of the state Senate. Advertisement Even Democratic voters in California are more conservative than the Democrats who control the government. Last year a tougher-on-crime initiative opposed by Newsom passed with more than 68% approval statewide, and a measure that would have made it easier for local governments to borrow money and raise property taxes went down to defeat by 10 points. 3 Texas Gov. Greg Abbott added redistricting to the agenda of a special session of the legislature after Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon told him that some of the state's congressional districts now violate the law. Getty Images Now Newsom is planning to ask voters to give more power to the leftist-Democrat legislature so it can draw congressional district maps that will give more power to leftist Democrats in Washington. Don't count on it. In Republican-controlled Texas, redistricting is happening because of changes to the federal courts' interpretation of the Voting Rights Act. On July 7, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon sent a letter to Gov. Greg Abbott informing him that some of the state's congressional districts now violate the law. Abbott added redistricting to the agenda of a special session of the legislature. Advertisement On July 15, Trump spoke with Texas Republicans and encouraged them to draw the new district lines in a way that would give the GOP five more seats in Congress. Before the new maps could be approved by the Texas House in a scheduled Monday vote, dozens of Democratic members of the legislature bolted for other states, preventing the quorum needed to conduct legislative business. 3 In Republican-controlled Texas, redistricting is happening at the Capitol because of changes to the federal courts' interpretation of the Voting Rights Act. Getty Images 'This is what fighting for democracy looks like,' Newsom wrote in an online post. And this is what craven ambition looks like: Newsom proposing a snap election to discard the citizen-drawn congressional maps and substitute maps drawn by politicians, with no transparency to the public, for the next three election cycles. Advertisement There is significant and high-profile opposition. 'Any attempt to undermine the nonpartisan California Redistricting Commission will be strongly opposed in the courts and at the ballot box,' wrote Charles Munger, Jr., in an online post on July 16. Munger personally spent more than $12 million in support of Proposition 20. A website is already up at Also threatening a lawsuit is GOP candidate for governor Steve Hilton, a well-known Fox News contributor. And Politico reported that former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will be back to defend the citizen redistricting he championed. Roughly a dozen other states, including New York, are considering mid-decade redistricting. Gov. Hochul has said she'll 'fight fire with fire,' but as in California, overriding the state's redistricting commission will require voter approval of a constitutional amendment. It's 2024 all over again. Voters are the main obstacle to Democrats' plans to 'save democracy.' Susan Shelley is a columnist for the Southern California News Group and VP of communications for the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association.
Time of India
02-08-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Newsom may call special California election to decide on new Congressional maps - here's what redistricting means
Gavin Newsom pushes for special California election to redraw congressional maps as Trump's GOP reshapes Texas districts- In a bold and controversial move, California Governor Gavin Newsom is preparing to call a special statewide election in November 2025 to allow voters to approve new congressional maps. This high-stakes maneuver is aimed at countering the Republican redistricting strategy led by President Donald Trump in Texas, which could shift the balance of power in the U.S. House of Representatives. Newsom's proposal is drawing national attention, stirring political debates, and raising legal questions about the future of fair redistricting in America. Newsom wants voters to decide on new congressional maps this November Gavin Newsom is considering a November 2025 special election to put the power of redrawing California's congressional districts directly into the hands of voters. If approved, this would temporarily bypass the state's independent Citizens Redistricting Commission, a voter-approved body responsible for creating fair and nonpartisan political maps since 2010. Instead, new maps would be crafted by the Democratic-majority California Legislature, then submitted to voters for approval. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category healthcare Others Management Design Thinking Technology Data Science Digital Marketing Product Management Public Policy Project Management Operations Management Healthcare Data Analytics Data Science Finance Cybersecurity CXO Artificial Intelligence MCA others Leadership Degree PGDM MBA Skills you'll gain: Duration: 11 Months IIM Lucknow CERT-IIML Healthcare Management India Starts on undefined Get Details The maps would apply to the 2026, 2028, and 2030 U.S. House elections. After 2030, the current redistricting commission system would be restored, according to Newsom's plan. The governor emphasized that this is a temporary strategic response, not a permanent change to the system. Trump-backed Texas redistricting plan prompts California's counter move This proposal comes in direct response to President Trump's Republican allies in Texas, who are currently pushing for mid-decade redistricting to add up to five new GOP-leaning congressional districts. Texas had already redrawn its districts after the 2020 Census, but now Republicans are aggressively pursuing a second redistricting effort before the 2026 elections to strengthen their hold in the House. Newsom described California's plan as a "counterattack" against what he sees as a deeply unfair and partisan move by Texas Republicans. In a statement to reporters, he said, 'We can't let them play by a different set of rules while we tie our own hands. Democracy can't be one-sided.' Live Events Democrats argue they must fight fire with fire to protect the House With control of the U.S. House at stake in 2026, Democratic leaders are warning that if red states like Texas manipulate congressional maps to favor the GOP, blue states must respond in kind to protect representative balance. Newsom and other Democratic governors have been under pressure to retaliate strategically and prevent a Republican supermajority engineered through redistricting alone. The governor's plan would allow California to potentially gain Democratic-friendly districts to offset GOP gains in Texas. If successful, it could have a major impact on the outcome of the 2026 midterms and help Democrats maintain—or even retake—control of Congress. A special election in California could cost over $200 million The idea of a statewide special election in an off-year like 2025 is not without precedent. California held a high-profile gubernatorial recall election in 2021, which cost taxpayers around $208 million. Newsom acknowledged the high price tag but insisted that protecting democracy is worth the investment. 'This isn't just about California,' Newsom said. 'This is about ensuring every voter in this country is represented fairly and not silenced by gerrymandering power plays in other states.' State officials estimate that a November 2025 special election could cost upwards of $200 million, especially if held alongside already scheduled local elections in various counties. Critics slam the plan as a dangerous attack on nonpartisan redistricting Despite support from national Democrats, Newsom's proposal is facing strong criticism from voting rights advocates and good government groups who argue that tampering with the independent redistricting process, even temporarily, sets a dangerous precedent. The California Citizens Redistricting Commission, created through two voter-approved ballot measures in 2008 and 2010, was hailed as a model for nonpartisan mapmaking. Critics warn that overriding it—no matter the reason—undermines public trust in fair elections and could erode California's reputation for political integrity. 'This is a slippery slope,' said Kathay Feng, a prominent voting rights attorney. 'If we gut the commission every time it's politically convenient, what's to stop future governors from doing the same?' Legal experts warn of constitutional and court challenges ahead To implement this plan, Newsom may need a constitutional amendment or legislative referral, which would require voter approval. Legal experts warn that any attempt to bypass the redistricting commission will face swift legal challenges, potentially delaying or even blocking the new maps from being used in 2026. Election law scholars say California's state constitution provides strong protections for the redistricting commission. Altering that structure, even temporarily, may spark lengthy court battles that could leave congressional races in limbo. Still, Newsom seems ready for the fight. 'Texas isn't following the rules,' he said. 'If we don't stand up now, they will redraw democracy on their terms.' Newsom's 2028 ambitions may hinge on the success of this plan This high-stakes redistricting gamble could have serious consequences for Gavin Newsom's political future. The California governor is widely seen as a potential Democratic presidential contender in 2028, especially if President Trump seeks a second term. If Newsom succeeds in mobilizing voters, winning legal battles, and helping Democrats secure additional House seats, it could position him as a national Democratic hero. But if the plan backfires—either legally, politically, or financially—it may damage his credibility and embolden critics who see the move as partisan overreach. 'This is risky,' said a longtime Democratic strategist. 'But boldness is sometimes what defines leadership. Newsom is betting big on the idea that voters will see this as defending democracy, not undermining it.' Timeline: What happens next in California The California State Legislature is expected to reconvene on August 18, 2025 . Lawmakers will debate the proposal and decide whether to place the redistricting measure on the November ballot. If the plan advances, here's what to expect: Late August 2025 : Final legislative approval of the ballot proposition September 2025 : Draft maps released by the Legislature and public campaign begins November 4, 2025 : Statewide special election held alongside local contests 2026 : If approved, new maps go into effect for congressional elections Meanwhile, advocacy groups on both sides are already preparing media campaigns, legal briefs, and voter outreach as the battle over the future of congressional redistricting heats up in the Golden State. A defining moment for redistricting fairness and national politics Gavin Newsom's move to redraw California's House districts in response to Trump's Republican redistricting playbook in Texas is more than a state political drama—it's a national test of how Democrats plan to respond to partisan gerrymandering. With the balance of power in Congress hanging by a thread, both parties are now openly embracing political map warfare. The big question is whether voters in California, a state long known for championing electoral fairness, are ready to join the fight—and whether doing so will help or hurt the cause of democracy in the long run. As the November 2025 special election approaches, all eyes will be on California—not just as the largest blue state, but as the new front line in America's redistricting battle. FAQs: Q1: Why is Gavin Newsom planning a special election in California in 2025? To let voters decide if lawmakers should redraw congressional maps in response to GOP redistricting. Q2: What happens if California overrides its redistricting commission in 2025? It could allow Democrats to create new districts for 2026–2030 to counter GOP gains.
