You can be certain that every senator who voted against redistricting did a very pragmatic assessment of the consequences of their actions and didn’t give much weight to the threat of retribution.
OR they were either threatened with blackmail or offered lucrative, under the table deals and perks. How many of these politicians end up multimillionaires after they leave office - and beyond.
Gavin Newsom, for example - how did he afford a $9 million dollar house on his $291,715, governor’s salary? He’s reported to be worth $20 million.
My suspicion is that some of them were smart enough to grasp more than silly tweets —
People erroneously assume “it’s all so easy” and just redrawing maps results in a foregone conclusion... but — the failed map actually could have backfired big time.
In a neutral election, it might well go 9-0. But - if the voting patterns were more like 2018? It might well have ended up a disastrous 5-4. As it stands now - it’s almost impossible for worse than 6-3, with 7-2 being most likely (and 8-1 not impossible, as Gary slowly dies and the redder parts of that area make up a bigger population share).
Sometimes discretion is the better part of valor - and 2026 increasingly looks like tough sledding.