Democrats should combat Texas redistricting, says Rep. Ritchie Torres : NPR

The Republican-controlled Texas legislature is seeking to redraw congressional maps to present the GOP an edge in subsequent yr’s midterm elections — and New York Rep. Ritchie Torres says Democrats haven’t any alternative however to combat again.

“To only merely stand by passively and permit Republicans to rig the method of their favor is definitely a type of complicity. It is the other of defending democracy,” Torres informed Morning Version.

With Texas nonetheless reeling from the lethal July 4 floods, the state legislature plans to approve a partisan redistricting of Texas’ congressional map. The transfer is pushed by President Trump’s want to win 5 extra seats for Republicans subsequent fall.

Some Democrats need states the place their celebration is in management to redraw their Home district strains and cancel out Texas’ plans or acquire their very own benefit. California Gov. Gavin Newsom is among the Democrats who’s expressed this curiosity, and through a press convention final week he stated, “I am not going to be passive at this second.”

Torres says this situation “underscores the necessity for a nationwide system wherein we take the politics out of redistricting.”

“Republicans ought to be cautious what they need for,” he stated. “The Republicans in Texas have the intention of strengthening the Republican seats, however might have the impact of weakening them in a local weather that’s more likely to be extra favorable to Democrats.”

NPR’s Steve Inskeep and Torres additional mentioned the Republican Occasion’s redistricting agenda and why he believes the Democratic Occasion should “counter their dishonest or grow to be complicit.”

The next interview has been edited for size and readability. 

Interview Highlights

Steve Inskeep: What is the primary thought you are selling?

Rep. Ritchie Torres: Properly, I’d describe it not as ruthlessness, however as equity. In a great world, there would solely be a redistricting originally of the last decade on the decennial census. You recognize, nobody within the Democratic Occasion needs a redistricting arms race. But when Republicans are going to rewrite the foundations in the course of the sport and redraw maps in Texas, which might yield as much as 5 seats, then we have now no alternative however to reply and reciprocate. To face by passively would imply unilateral disarmament.

Inskeep: Are you able to try this in New York?

Torres: It is theoretically attainable, however, you recognize, we face constraints in New York.

Inskeep: There is a constitutional provision in New York.

Torres: There’s constitutional provision that may be missing in Texas, however we have now no alternative however to strive, as a result of Republicans are primarily dishonest or primarily rewriting the foundations in the course of the sport. And both we counter their dishonest or we grow to be complicit.

Inskeep: You are saying that you prefer to your state’s leaders even in New York, regardless of the constitutional provisions, to attempt to discover a way round them and see if you will get a unique electoral map.

Torres: We must always try and redraw maps in a good method throughout the constraints of the Structure. Sure.

Inskeep: Folks watching this from the surface are maybe pondering, ‘We’re being manipulated right here. All the identical votes, and also you slice us up in several methods and give you a unique end result.’

Torres: Look, I feel it underscores the necessity for a nationwide system wherein we take the politics out of redistricting. Democrats are in favor. We have handed laws in each legislative session the place we have been within the majority, solely to have it obstructed and opposed by the Republicans. But when one facet is enjoying by the foundations and the opposite facet is pursuing energy in any respect value, that is a dropping proposition for the Democratic Occasion. And it is a dropping proposition for democracy.

Inskeep: There are a variety of various functions that you could serve with redistricting, and one in all them is maximizing the variety of seats your celebration will get. However one other is incumbent safety, which, as I perceive, is extra widespread in redistricting. The celebration in energy will defend their seats, and you’ve got fewer and fewer seats which can be really in play anyplace in Congress. How do you suppose that has affected the enterprise that the Home of Representatives does that you simply’re in?

Torres: Properly, the precept that govern the unique Texas redistricting was incumbency safety. And Republicans ought to be cautious what they need for. The Republicans in Texas have the intention of strengthening the Republican seats, however might have the impact of weakening them in a local weather that’s more likely to be extra favorable to Democrats.

Inskeep: I assume we must always clarify the mathematics. As an alternative of X variety of seats which can be 60% Republican, you’ve gotten extra seats which can be 52% Republican. So they could lose one.

Torres: And people seats might simply grow to be extra aggressive, like Jared Golden in Maine, who has stated, “Watch out what you would like for,” as a result of he’s a Democrat who received in a Trump district.

Inskeep: What do you consider as you hear Democrats being described, even six months into the Trump presidency, as being confused, in disarray, nonetheless attempting to determine their loss in 2024, nonetheless attempting to determine a message for 2026 and past.

Torres: I feel the Democratic Occasion is a piece in progress. Now we have a message which is affordability, to focus like a laser on reducing the price of dwelling, which was the dominant problem within the New York Metropolis mayor’s race. However look, we’re going through an unprecedented problem to our financial system, our democracy, our society. I imply, Donald Trump has no regard for the foundations and norms of democracy. And so there is no method for the type of resistance that we’re mounting in opposition to Trump 2.0, which is much extra vindictive, way more aggressive, way more emboldened than something we have seen earlier than, together with Trump 1.0.

Inskeep: Do you suppose that there was an issue find a brand new technology of leaders for the Democratic Occasion?

Torres: I feel a brand new technology of management is rising. There are youthful members who’re assuming committee chairmanships like Robert Garcia [D-Calif.] for Oversight or Angie Craig [D-Minn.] for Agriculture. So the brand new guard is rising, and we have now a brand new technology of members of Congress who’re adapting to the world of latest media. You recognize, as Democrats, if we have now confidence in our message, we have now to be prepared to take that message to each nook of the choice media ecosystem. And that is one thing we’re beginning to do.

Inskeep: Is that one thing that Republicans did higher within the final election?

Torres: I feel Donald Trump is among the masters of other media. And for a very long time, we’re enjoying catch up.

The digital piece was edited by Obed Manuel. The radio model of this story was edited by Ally Schweitzer and produced by Milton Guevara and Nia Dumas.