Former President Obama endorsed California Democrats’ plans to redraw congressional districts if Texas or one other Republican-led state does so to extend the GOP’s possibilities of sustaining management of Congress after subsequent 12 months’s midterm election.
Obama stated that whereas he opposes partisan gerrymandering, Republicans in Texas appearing at President Trump’s behest have pressured Democrats’ hand.
If Democrats “don’t reply successfully, then this White Home and Republican-controlled state governments all throughout the nation, they won’t cease, as a result of they don’t seem to imagine on this concept of an inclusive, expansive democracy,” he stated at a fundraiser Tuesday in Martha’s Winery that was first reported by the Related Press on Wednesday.
“I wished only a truthful combat between Republicans and Democrats primarily based on who’s acquired higher concepts, and take it to the voters and see what occurs,” Obama stated, “… however we can not unilaterally permit one of many two main events to rig the sport. And California is likely one of the states that has the capability to offset a big state like Texas.”
Redistricting sometimes solely happens as soon as a decade, after the census, to account for inhabitants shifts. In 2010, Californians voted to create an unbiased redistricting fee to finish partisan gerrymandering. California’s 52 congressional districts have been final redrawn in 2021.
Earlier this summer time, Trump urged Texas leaders to redraw its congressional boundaries to extend the variety of Republicans in Congress. Led by Gov. Gavin Newsom, California Democrats responded and proposed redrawing the state’s district traces and placing the matter earlier than voters in a particular election in November.
The difficulty got here to a head this week, with Texas lawmakers anticipated to vote on their new districts on Wednesday, and California legislators anticipated to vote on Thursday to name the particular election.
Obama referred to as Newsom’s strategy “accountable,” as a result of the matter will in the end be determined by voters, and if permitted, would solely go into impact if Texas or one other state embarks on a mid-decade redistricting, and line-drawing would revert to the unbiased fee after the 2030 census.
“I believe that strategy is a great, measured strategy, designed to handle a really explicit downside in a really explicit second in time,” Obama stated.
