As Gov. Gavin Newsom champions a redistricting overhaul — citing GOP gerrymandering sparked by President Donald Trump’s order for Texas to carve out another five Republican seats — records show he did not initially support the state’s nonpartisan redistricting commission despite his recent statements that he broke ranks with his party over the issue. The California governor has become the Democrats’ most vocal champion of partisan redistricting after Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered a special legislative session last month to redraw district boundaries and shore up the GOP’s congressional majority ahead of the 2026 midterms. Newsom has proposed that voters approve temporary new congressional maps, drawn up by state lawmakers, in a special Nov. 4 election, which would be in effect for the 2026, 2028 and 2030 elections, before reverting redistricting power back to the commission. Democrats in Maryland, Illinois and New York are considering similar efforts, which has become the party’s most potent weapon in opposing Trump.
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Democrats in California’s congressional delegation have reviewed one version, which targets five districts held by Republican Reps. Kevin Kiley, Ken Calvert, David Valadao, Darrell Issa and Doug LaMalfa. The new boundaries would force more liberal voters into those districts, making them easier for Democrats to flip and counteract the five seats the GOP is hoping to pick up in Texas. Newsom, purportedly eyeing a run for higher office after he is termed out of the governor’s mansion next year, said earlier this week he will not move ahead with his own effort if Texas backs down. He said he supports redistricting despite personal reservations about undercutting the Citizen Redistricting Commission, a nonpartisan 14-member state body established in 2008 via Proposition 11, that draws congressional and legislative maps after each Census count.
“I actually was one of the few Democrats back in the day (to support it) when we created the independent redistricting commission, which I think personally should be the case in every state,” Newsom recently said on his podcast. “This is ridiculous. This gerrymandering is outrageous. I don’t like it on either side, and so I supported that.” On Wednesday, he sent a short email to supporters claiming the tactic was one of last resort: “I’ve long supported independent redistricting. I can’t stand these gerrymandered districts. But Democrats can’t just sit there and act holier than thou while we watch our democracy be totally degraded.”
Smoke screen for the destructive “top 2” elections, State demanded rules that increase high density slums that are then D strong holds because he doesn’t enforce clean voting rolls, and the list goes on.
There has been little honest voting associated with the Democrat Party in the past 40 years.
Corrupt is the proper description.
Gavin “Hair Gel” Newsom is a liar … idiot … Democrat. Hmmm, I used three adjectives that all state the same thing.