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The redistricting war between Texas and California is about to jolt the midterms
Politico ^ | 08/23/2025 02:00 PM EDT | Liz Crampton, Dustin Gardiner and Nick Reisman

Posted on 08/23/2025 4:12:28 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum

It all amounts to the opening salvo in what is likely to become a national showdown to grasp power through gerrymandering.

The redistricting war is officially on.

After weeks of bluster from dueling governors and state lawmakers, California and Texas raced forward with parallel action this week to draw new congressional maps, setting into motion a national redistricting fight that could upend the midterms and determine control of the House.

Texas Republicans on Saturday passed a new map that will help the GOP flip as many as five House seats — a partisan play at the hand of President Donald Trump. On Thursday, California Democratic lawmakers and Gov. Gavin Newsom preemptively agreed to send a retaliatory ballot measure to voters — the first step in potentially offsetting Texas’ maneuver by creating new Democratic-leaning seats.F
The nation’s two largest states had fired the opening salvo in what is likely to become an intense and protracted redistricting campaign by both parties to grasp power in Washington. Now other red and blue state governors face pressure to follow their lead and aggressively gerrymander their congressional maps.

Republicans hold a clear advantage in the arms race: The GOP is poised to move forward with redistricting in Florida, Ohio, Missouri and Indiana, which could yield at least half a dozen more seats. Democrats, meanwhile, have struggled to get gerrymandering efforts moving in blue states beyond California, though leaders in New York, Illinois and Maryland say they are weighing options.

“Right now, these other states need to step up,” said Rep. Robert Garcia, a Democrat from Long Beach, Calif. “I know it’s hard, I know it’s complicated … But, if you’re a blue state governor, the time is now to step up and get it done.”

(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...


TOPICS: Politics/Elections
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1 posted on 08/23/2025 4:12:28 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Democrats can’t win through overwhelming popularity — they aren’t popular.
Democrats can’t win through stuffing ballot boxes — that seems like it’s going to get harder to accomplish.
Democrats have to gerrymander key states so that outcomes are a sure thing — it’s all they have left.


2 posted on 08/23/2025 4:14:38 PM PDT by ClearCase_guy (Society has no reward for following the rules any more)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

It’s nice how politico fails to mention that CA is disregarding its own laws, using Stuff’n Gut strategy, to avoid 30-day public comment period in order to get Newscum’s imitative on the ballot this year.


3 posted on 08/23/2025 4:18:50 PM PDT by Texas_Jarhead
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

What if the thread title removed the word “redistricting”?

More like the country is trending now.


4 posted on 08/23/2025 4:19:02 PM PDT by frank ballenger (There's a battle outside and it's raging. It'll soon shake your windows and rattle your walls. )
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To: Texas_Jarhead

Sorry, Gut’n Stuff strat


5 posted on 08/23/2025 4:19:17 PM PDT by Texas_Jarhead
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

The democRATs have been doing this for years. Why is this suddenly a Republican issue?


6 posted on 08/23/2025 4:20:25 PM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: Texas_Jarhead
It’s nice how politico fails to mention that CA is disregarding its own laws, using Stuff’n Gut strategy, to avoid 30-day public comment period in order to get Newscum’s imitative on the ballot this year.

"California Democrats used a common legislative tactic called “gut and amend” to rush legislation for a special election on new election maps. Republicans say that violates the state constitution."

https://calmatters.org/politics/2025/08/newsom-redistricting-republican-lawsuit/

7 posted on 08/23/2025 4:20:51 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum (Democrats are the Party of racism, anger, hate and violence.)
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To: MtnClimber
Simple. It's OK when Democrats gerrymander. It's not OK when Republicans gerrymander.

The Democratic Party claims to be the descendant of the Democratic-Republican Party of Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Elbridge Gerry, for whom gerrymandering is named, was Madison's Vice President. So it is cultural appropriation for Republicans to assume the right to gerrymander.

8 posted on 08/23/2025 4:35:07 PM PDT by Verginius Rufus
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To: E. Pluribus Unum
IMG-1105
9 posted on 08/23/2025 4:39:06 PM PDT by Beowulf9
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Congress should not seat California politicians since they won’t even follow California law much less federal law

(sanctuary sedition)


10 posted on 08/23/2025 4:51:55 PM PDT by cuz1961
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

What the Alt Left does not realize is Dems have all ready done this in the Blue States over the last 2 decades.. If Red states do this too the Dems don’t have very many seats to gain but many to lose


11 posted on 08/23/2025 4:52:46 PM PDT by MNJohnnie (Don't blame me, my congressman is MTG!)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Ok, so I missed that. Granted I find it hard to hard some of Politico’s pieces and I only skimmed it. That said, nice to see a mention of gut’n stuff.


12 posted on 08/23/2025 4:53:59 PM PDT by Texas_Jarhead
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To: Texas_Jarhead

I was not correcting you. I was just augmenting.


13 posted on 08/23/2025 4:55:04 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum (Democrats are the Party of racism, anger, hate and violence.)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum
And I appreciate that. Augmentation is not bad :D

Also, I appreciate your FR contributions.
14 posted on 08/23/2025 4:56:27 PM PDT by Texas_Jarhead
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To: E. Pluribus Unum
The California map is illegal according to the state constitution. It will be challenged in court.

-PJ

15 posted on 08/23/2025 4:57:28 PM PDT by Political Junkie Too ( * LAAP = Left-wing Activist Agitprop Press (formerly known as the MSM))
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To: Political Junkie Too

I wondered about that. Thanks for that input.


16 posted on 08/23/2025 5:06:21 PM PDT by Beowulf9
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To: ClearCase_guy

They have largely already done that gerrymandering. That is why they’re whining about Republicans doing it, so loudly.


17 posted on 08/23/2025 5:34:57 PM PDT by FreedomPoster (Islam delenda est)
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To: Political Junkie Too
The claim that the California map is illegal under the state constitution stems from a recent lawsuit filed by Republican state legislators challenging Governor Gavin Newsom’s fast-track redistricting plan.

The plaintiffs argue that the legislative process used to advance the map violates constitutional requirements, specifically a 30-day waiting period between the introduction of legislation and a vote on it.

They contend that bypassing the independent citizens redistricting commission—established by voters in 2010 to remove partisan influence from mapmaking—undermines the state’s constitutional framework and democratic principles.

The lawsuit does not challenge the “gut and amend” legislative tactic in principle but asks the court to enforce constitutional constraints meant to protect public rights, including transparency and participation in the lawmaking process.

Critics, including Republican lawmakers, describe the move as a power grab that sets a dangerous precedent.

However, the Newsom administration has dismissed the legal challenge as unserious, asserting confidence in the process.

Whether the map ultimately violates the California Constitution will be determined by the courts. The state constitution emphasizes direct democracy and limits on legislative power, reflecting a system where voters have historically taken an active role in governance through initiatives and commissions. While the constitution allows for amendments and legislative action, procedural compliance remains a key legal benchmark.

The outcome of the lawsuit will hinge on judicial interpretation of these constitutional provisions.

The question I have, is there still a court in Ca. that will rule with the Republicans, or is the entire judicial apparatus going to support whatever the Democrats want?

18 posted on 08/23/2025 5:48:30 PM PDT by Robert DeLong
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

When it comes to results Democrats fail consistenly.

Republicans have learned how to win.


19 posted on 08/23/2025 5:59:46 PM PDT by ImJustAnotherOkie
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To: ClearCase_guy

What Texas is doing is gerrymandering. Virtually all the deep blue states are gerrymandered to the Dems advantage. What Texas is doing is simply copying what the Dems have done for many years. Texas went on offense. The Dems have always been on offense.

The real hell of it is the Dems will lose this battle. Their states are far more gerrymandered than Republican states. If all states go to a gerrymander war the Dems will lose their ass.


20 posted on 08/23/2025 7:21:55 PM PDT by cpdiii (cane cutter, deckhand, oilfield roughneck, drilling fluid tech, geologist, pilot, pharmacist, MAGA)
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