It would seem as if Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and California Gov. Gavin Newsom don’t have much in common. Yet their recent pronouncements about the need to redraw congressional districts in their states indicate they both are willing to subvert democracy for political gain.
By moving to redistrict congressional maps mid-cycle, both Abbott and Newsom not only threaten the voting rights of their state’s citizens, but they also threaten to open a Pandora’s box of copycat activity across the country. It’s a dangerous stunt that could cause permanent damage to our democracy.
Like just about all bad election ideas these days, this one originated in the White House. Earlier this year, Trump appointees at the U.S. Department of Justice sent the Texas governor a letter making the controversial claim that four of the state’s majority-minority districts are unconstitutional racial gerrymanders. So, in addition to having a special session to deal with issues surrounding the devastating July 4 floods, Abbott added mid-cycle redistricting to the agenda.
Hyper-aware that Trump’s “Wreck it Ralph” approach to governing could cost them in the mid-terms next year, Republican Texas legislators have made it clear that they prioritize following Trump’s marching orders over protecting their constituents from natural disasters. They were called into special session on July 21 and so far, have spent their time on redistricting, not public safety. That speaks volumes about how important line-drawing is to election outcomes.
But it’s extremely disappointing that Democrats in Texas and beyond have decided on a “fight fire with fire” strategy to bolster their chances of winning back the House next year and are encouraging leaders in blue states to draw maps mid-cycle too. The problem with their cynical approach is that it will continue the deep erosion of fair representation caused by partisan gerrymandering and will result in rigged districts across the country.
Although he has supported an independent redistricting process in the past, Texas Democrat Beto O’Rourke said, “We have to be absolutely ruthless about getting back to power.”
But the danger of fighting gerrymandering with more gerrymandering is a deepening of the already heightened sense of disillusionment that so many voters have today. Gerrymandering reduces voters to pawns and often their response is to refuse to play the game, i.e. not vote.
Newsom’s plan to lead a mid-cycle redistricting charge in California not only threaten the voting rights and fair representation of voters in that state, it will also undermine the state’s Citizens Redistricting Commission (CRC), which has become the gold standard for a fair redistricting process. The governor has suggested that the CRC only has authority to redistrict after the federal census and that the state’s General Assembly could draw maps this year. Any effort to subvert the authority of the redistricting commission will be met by litigation, so any changes to California’s congressional map will not come easy, nor should they.
Indeed, if Texas, California or any other state chooses to redistrict outside the normal parameters, their resulting maps will be challenged by advocacy groups, causing problems and confusion for candidates and voters alike ahead of the critical 2026 elections. Instead of trying to fight fire with fire, politicians should douse the flames of these cynical power grabs by remembering that playing with fire usually ends up with everything burning down.
Do they really want to torch democracy for short-term electoral advantage?
Thankfully, there doesn’t seem to be any enthusiasm for these games among Indiana’s Republican leadership. And, at the local level, Common Cause Indiana is working with activists and local elected officials in Valparaiso to pass an ordinance to create a bipartisan citizens redistricting commission to draw maps during the 2032 round of local redistricting. We’re expanding this effort to several other cities soon.
As the overheated rhetoric continues at the national level, it is truly refreshing to work with Hoosiers who understand that the goal should be fair redistricting, not a ruthless power grab.