Latest news with #Democratic-dominated
4 days ago
- Politics
California rushes to plan a still unscheduled election in US House seats standoff with Texas
LOS ANGELES -- California Democrats' rush to schedule an emergency election to remake U.S. House districts and counter rival moves by Texas Republicans has created a dilemma for county officials who are being urged to plan for an election that hasn't been scheduled and might never happen. Orchestrating an election in a state of nearly 23 million registered voters across 58 counties is a time-consuming and costly endeavor under any circumstances, but Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Democratic-dominated Legislature already have blown past deadlines intended to give local officials adequate time for organizing everything from printing mail ballots in multiple languages to lining up staff and securing locations for in-person voting. Democrats are considering new political maps that could slash five Republican-held House seats in the liberal-leaning state while bolstering Democratic incumbents in other battleground districts. If Democrats succeed, that could leave Republicans with four House seats in the state among 52 overall. Those revised maps could be formally unveiled as soon as next week, in advance of a Nov. 4 election. The office of the state's chief elections overseer, Secretary of State Shirley Weber, met Monday with local election officials to discuss planning for the pending election. Though an election has not been called, 'staff around the state need to begin preparing for the possibility of a special election,' Weber spokesperson Jim Patrick said in an email. Meanwhile, it's not known if the state will cover the cost of the potential November election or if counties — many cash-strapped — will be saddled with the bill. A 2021 special election in which Newsom beat back a recall attempt cost over $200 million to conduct. 'We are going to be under some tight time pressures,' said Orange County Registrar of Voters Bob Page, whose office is rapidly planning for the proposed election. 'We really can't lose all or most of August by waiting' for the Legislature and the governor to act, Page added. 'It's a risk I have to take.' Los Angeles County Clerk Dean Logan, who oversees elections in the county of nearly 10 million people, warned that 'without upfront state funding and a clearly defined calendar, counties can face challenges meeting the demands of an election.' "Ensuring voters are served accurately, securely, and equitably must remain the top priority, and that takes preparation,' Logan added in a statement. Texas and California — the two most populous U.S. states — are the leading actors in a back-and-forth push to remake the balance of power in the U.S. House, kicked off when President Donald Trump called for Texas to redraw district lines with the GOP's fragile House majority imperiled in the upcoming 2026 midterm elections. The party that controls the White House is typically punished by voters in midterm elections. 'We are entitled to five more seats' in Texas, Trump insisted Tuesday in a CNBC interview. He pointed to California's existing maps, which are drawn by an independent commission unlike the Texas maps crafted by a partisan legislature: 'They did it to us.' Other states — including New York, Florida and Indiana — could get into the power struggle that's emerging as a national proxy war for control of Congress. Newsom has said he would only move forward with the election if Texas succeeds in recasting its own House maps. The Texas push is on hold, after Democrats fled the state to prevent a legislative vote on the Republican redistricting plan. In an online post, Page wrote that state rules require the governor to issue a proclamation calling a statewide election at least 148 days before the date of the election — that would have been June 9. As part of any action, the Legislature would have to waive that requirement this year. He warned of a possible enforcement action by the U.S. Justice Department if ballots for members of the U.S. Military and overseas voters are not issued by Sept. 20. Page said if he waited for the Legislature and the governor to formally call the election, 'it would be too late for me to actually conduct the election.' If it goes through, 'We are going to make this work,' Page added.
San Francisco Chronicle
4 days ago
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
California rushes to plan a still unscheduled election in US House seats standoff with Texas
LOS ANGELES (AP) — California Democrats' rush to schedule an emergency election to remake U.S. House districts and counter rival moves by Texas Republicans has created a dilemma for county officials who are being urged to plan for an election that hasn't been scheduled and might never happen. Orchestrating an election in a state of nearly 23 million registered voters across 58 counties is a time-consuming and costly endeavor under any circumstances, but Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Democratic-dominated Legislature already have blown past deadlines intended to give local officials adequate time for organizing everything from printing mail ballots in multiple languages to lining up staff and securing locations for in-person voting. Democrats are considering new political maps that could slash five Republican-held House seats in the liberal-leaning state while bolstering Democratic incumbents in other battleground districts. If Democrats succeed, that could leave Republicans with four House seats in the state among 52 overall. Those revised maps could be formally unveiled as soon as next week, in advance of a Nov. 4 election. The office of the state's chief elections overseer, Secretary of State Shirley Weber, met Monday with local election officials to discuss planning for the pending election. Though an election has not been called, 'staff around the state need to begin preparing for the possibility of a special election,' Weber spokesperson Jim Patrick said in an email. Meanwhile, it's not known if the state will cover the cost of the potential November election or if counties — many cash-strapped — will be saddled with the bill. A 2021 special election in which Newsom beat back a recall attempt cost over $200 million to conduct. 'We are going to be under some tight time pressures,' said Orange County Registrar of Voters Bob Page, whose office is rapidly planning for the proposed election. 'We really can't lose all or most of August by waiting' for the Legislature and the governor to act, Page added. 'It's a risk I have to take.' Los Angeles County Clerk Dean Logan, who oversees elections in the county of nearly 10 million people, warned that 'without upfront state funding and a clearly defined calendar, counties can face challenges meeting the demands of an election.' "Ensuring voters are served accurately, securely, and equitably must remain the top priority, and that takes preparation,' Logan added in a statement. Texas and California — the two most populous U.S. states — are the leading actors in a back-and-forth push to remake the balance of power in the U.S. House, kicked off when President Donald Trump called for Texas to redraw district lines with the GOP's fragile House majority imperiled in the upcoming 2026 midterm elections. The party that controls the White House is typically punished by voters in midterm elections. 'We are entitled to five more seats' in Texas, Trump insisted Tuesday in a CNBC interview. He pointed to California's existing maps, which are drawn by an independent commission unlike the Texas maps crafted by a partisan legislature: 'They did it to us.' Other states — including New York, Florida and Indiana — could get into the power struggle that's emerging as a national proxy war for control of Congress. Newsom has said he would only move forward with the election if Texas succeeds in recasting its own House maps. The Texas push is on hold, after Democrats fled the state to prevent a legislative vote on the Republican redistricting plan. In an online post, Page wrote that state rules require the governor to issue a proclamation calling a statewide election at least 148 days before the date of the election — that would have been June 9. As part of any action, the Legislature would have to waive that requirement this year. He warned of a possible enforcement action by the U.S. Justice Department if ballots for members of the U.S. Military and overseas voters are not issued by Sept. 20.
Winnipeg Free Press
4 days ago
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
California rushes to plan a still unscheduled election in US House seats standoff with Texas
LOS ANGELES (AP) — California Democrats' rush to schedule an emergency election to remake U.S. House districts and counter rival moves by Texas Republicans has created a dilemma for county officials who are being urged to plan for an election that hasn't been scheduled and might never happen. Orchestrating an election in a state of nearly 23 million registered voters across 58 counties is a time-consuming and costly endeavor under any circumstances, but Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Democratic-dominated Legislature already have blown past deadlines intended to give local officials adequate time for organizing everything from printing mail ballots in multiple languages to lining up staff and securing locations for in-person voting. Democrats are considering new political maps that could slash five Republican-held House seats in the liberal-leaning state while bolstering Democratic incumbents in other battleground districts. If Democrats succeed, that could leave Republicans with four House seats in the state among 52 overall. Those revised maps could be formally unveiled as soon as next week, in advance of a Nov. 4 election. The office of the state's chief elections overseer, Secretary of State Shirley Weber, met Monday with local election officials to discuss planning for the pending election. Though an election has not been called, 'staff around the state need to begin preparing for the possibility of a special election,' Weber spokesperson Jim Patrick said in an email. Meanwhile, it's not known if the state will cover the cost of the potential November election or if counties — many cash-strapped — will be saddled with the bill. A 2021 special election in which Newsom beat back a recall attempt cost over $200 million to conduct. 'We are going to be under some tight time pressures,' said Orange County Registrar of Voters Bob Page, whose office is rapidly planning for the proposed election. 'We really can't lose all or most of August by waiting' for the Legislature and the governor to act, Page added. 'It's a risk I have to take.' Los Angeles County Clerk Dean Logan, who oversees elections in the county of nearly 10 million people, warned that 'without upfront state funding and a clearly defined calendar, counties can face challenges meeting the demands of an election.' 'Ensuring voters are served accurately, securely, and equitably must remain the top priority, and that takes preparation,' Logan added in a statement. Texas and California — the two most populous U.S. states — are the leading actors in a back-and-forth push to remake the balance of power in the U.S. House, kicked off when President Donald Trump called for Texas to redraw district lines with the GOP's fragile House majority imperiled in the upcoming 2026 midterm elections. The party that controls the White House is typically punished by voters in midterm elections. 'We are entitled to five more seats' in Texas, Trump insisted Tuesday in a CNBC interview. He pointed to California's existing maps, which are drawn by an independent commission unlike the Texas maps crafted by a partisan legislature: 'They did it to us.' Other states — including New York, Florida and Indiana — could get into the power struggle that's emerging as a national proxy war for control of Congress. Newsom has said he would only move forward with the election if Texas succeeds in recasting its own House maps. The Texas push is on hold, after Democrats fled the state to prevent a legislative vote on the Republican redistricting plan. In an online post, Page wrote that state rules require the governor to issue a proclamation calling a statewide election at least 148 days before the date of the election — that would have been June 9. As part of any action, the Legislature would have to waive that requirement this year. He warned of a possible enforcement action by the U.S. Justice Department if ballots for members of the U.S. Military and overseas voters are not issued by Sept. 20. Page said if he waited for the Legislature and the governor to formally call the election, 'it would be too late for me to actually conduct the election.' If it goes through, 'We are going to make this work,' Page added.
Politico
7 days ago
- Politics
- Politico
The Great Gerrymander War: California fires back at Texas power play
'I know the last thing Riverside County residents want is to eliminate the Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission and replace it with insider Sacramento politicians gerrymandering district lines behind closed doors,' Calvert said in a statement. When Newsom initially floated a California gerrymander to neutralize Texas, the reaction last month was a mix of enthusiasm and deep skepticism about the legal and political hurdles, given California's use of an independent redistricting commission. But as it became clear that Texas Republicans were unlikely to back down, Newsom pressed the issue, making California the tip of the spear for a counteroffensive embraced by Democrats at all levels of the party. Those dynamics make it likely the Democratic-dominated Legislature votes this month to put a new map on the ballot. While some expressed misgivings Sunday about a rushed process — to secure a November election, lawmakers will need to act quickly — several statehouse Democrats predicted they would muster the necessary two-thirds votes in each house. 'It's not a fight any of us want to be in, but we're in it, so we're going to fight,' said Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, a Democrat from Oakland. 'Nothing,' she added, 'unites the California Democratic caucus quite like Donald Trump.' But getting Sacramento Democrats on board is one thing. Persuading California voters will be entirely different — particularly because they would be asked to return line-drawing power to politicians, letting the Legislature craft new lines until the commission takes over again in 2031 after the next census. 'Voters want to weigh in on redistricting because they don't trust politicians,' said Chris Lehman, a political consultant who has worked on redistricting ballot initiatives. A survey conducted by Newsom pollster David Binder found that 52 percent of California voters would approve of state lawmakers redrawing its congressional district lines if Texas Republicans pulled off a similar gambit. The measure becomes more popular if the fight becomes more overtly partisan; 60 percent of voters back 'rejecting Trump's power grab.' Roughly eight in 10 Democrats and six in 10 independents are in favor of the effort, according to a person who was briefed on the poll's findings. The messages tested in the poll underscore how California Democrats will portray this as a fight they have no choice but to take on. The proposed ballot measure would be contingent on Texas' new districts being enacted. 'The polling shows that Californians overwhelmingly reject Trump's blatant power grab in Texas and want to fight back. The basic components of the program we are considering has strong support,' said Los Angeles-area Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur, another Democrat. A successful ballot campaign would still require a titanic political effort. Assuming the Legislature acts, Newsom and allies will have just a few months to raise tens of millions of dollars and educate voters on a sudden, off-year election. Republican foes could be motivated to throw down. With little else on the ballot, that could yield an enormously expensive showdown. 'That'll be the big question mark,' said Brandon Castillo, a political consultant who specializes in ballot initiatives. 'Does that national money pour in, on both sides?'
Politico
31-07-2025
- Politics
- Politico
Gavin Newsom floats November special election for his anti-Trump redistricting push
It would be an enormously expensive and politically perilous campaign. Newsom would be counting on Democrats' anti-Trump message overcoming voters' reluctance to return power to politicians for an explicitly partisan exercise. Newsom and his allies would need to raise enormous sums on a tight timeline so they could inform and turn out voters. And while they could tap into a national network, Trump and conservative opponents could be motivated to wade into the race to rebuke Newsom and the national party. The governor's remarks were his most detailed yet since he first vowed to counter Texas' GOP-buoying gerrymander by having California redraw its boundaries. Newsom had formerly said he was also considering having the Democratic-dominated Legislature simply draw new maps, circumventing the voters who enshrined an independent commission in 2010. But Newsom backed away from that option Thursday, signaling he would prefer to put the issue to voters. He said the new maps would remain in place for the next three election cycles, after which the commission would draw new lines as scheduled. 'We're not here to eliminate the [independent redistricting] commission,' Newsom said. 'We're here to provide a pathway in '26, '28, and in 2030 for congressional maps on the basis of a response to the rigging of the system of the president of the United States.'
