Unlike Texas, California has an independent redistricting commission, which is a bipartisan panel designed explicitly to block partisan gerrymandering. That means Newsom would have to find a way to circumvent the commission to try to offset Texas with his own partisan gerrymandering. Here’s how that would work, according to NBC News:
Newsom hopes to work with the Democratic-dominated Legislature starting this month to set up a special election for a statewide ballot measure on Nov. 4. It would offer a newly drawn map if Texas moves forward, a source close to Newsom told NBC News. The ballot measure would do two things: First, it would affirm support for California’s independent commission and call for fair redistricting nationwide. Second, it would include a trigger that says a pre-drawn new House map expected to boost Democrats would take effect if Texas implemented a new map.
That’s a heavy lift, both politically and procedurally speaking. In a special election Newsom would have to convince Californians that he opposes partisan gerrymandering — but deserves the authority to do it anyway as a defensive political measure. And as NBC News reports, “any new House map would be constrained by the Voting Rights Act, as well as the governor’s office and the Legislature, which would need to greenlight it.”
…
Hochul’s effort would be likely to take more time — and take effect after the midterms. New York also has its own independent redistricting commission, and NBC News reports that “changing the redistricting process must move forward as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment — a lengthy and arduous exercise that probably wouldn’t lead to new congressional maps until the 2028 election cycle, even if Texas acts before the upcoming midterms.”
…
It’s awkward to fight for democracy while simultaneously mirroring Trump’s efforts to effectively disenfranchise voters. A group can champion principles most credibly by holding on to them, even when they’re inconvenient. And it’s not even clear that such efforts would be politically “necessary”: historical trends suggest Democrats could have a wave election in 2026, and, as Hasen notes, Texas’ redistricting ambitions could also backfire by diluting some Republican districts. The Republican plan is insidious — but it’s not guaranteed to work.
A group can champion principles most credibly by holding on to them, even when they’re inconvenient.
This is why we lose.
My principle is that killing is wrong, that’s why I will allow these masked men to carry off my wife and daughter. Ahh it feels good to be moral!
Yeah this kind of “fuck the high road, we need results” thinking is EXACTLY what the Democrats need to be doing right now. They will gain much more credibility for it.
In this fight, everyone loses. We just need to come out on top
Marines fight dirty. The objective is to win.
I was taught that a fair fight is one in which I win without getting hurt.
If the Democrats don’t take the gloves off, some other group will have to do it. Inaction is collusion.
I’ll believe it when I see it
It’s awkward to fight for democracy while simultaneously mirroring Trump’s efforts to effectively disenfranchise voters.
What the author doesn’t get is that our priorities have shifted (and must shift) from being a democratic standard-bearer, to fending off an ongoing coup from fascists.
We are only 7 months into the presidency, and nearly all of our democratic institutions are not just being tested, they have definitively failed.
- The DOJ is captured and acting as Trump’s personal law firm.
- Trump has effectively legalized right-wing insurrection with his J6 pardons.
- The new bill has funded a loyal military force (DHS & ICE) that is actively illegally detaining, assaulting and oppressing lawful citizens and residents. It has more funding than the militaries of Japan, South Korea, France, Ukraine, Australia, Canada, Italy or others major powers, and is 8th if we were to rank it among worldwide military spending.
- The DOD is run by a sycophant quisling who is already ordering our other military be deployed against lawful speech and citizens.
- The House and Senate have approved every nominee and demand, and will not even disagree with Trump publicly.
- State GOP governments are consolidating permanent power that will directly dilute any federal power democratic states and voters have.
- The Supreme Court has said the president is beyond criminal prosecution.
.
The D-state redistricting plan is not even pushing the envelope, it is a long-shot hail Mary to put a roadblock in front of a fascism machine that these same media companies helped build, which is driving full speed toward a cliff. It may not even work if Trump’s sycophants have captured election boards in enough states that 2026 is no longer free and fair, it’s just all we have left to try.
We’ve already lost whatever standard this article is arguing for. Our only hope to get it back is to hold off long enough that winds shift, voters get fed up, and we go hard at rooting out this authoritarian element in the slim chance sane people are put back in power.
Edit: Added detail and formatting.
Press x to doubt
I have no faith in them to do what’s necessary.
Cool only several years too late.
That and it’s quite likely that judges will not be reasonable in which cases they uphold or strike down.
Democrats are ready to fight in the mud with Trump.
You’d hope they’d not fight with but against him, but I guess that does not fit their donor’s agenda?
Muddy dumbasses
We must tear down the republican traitor filth. This is existential and the law doesn’t matter.
The voters don’t care. There’s a war happening somewhere they don’t agree with.
