Former Democratic President Barack Obama has weighed in on the rare mid-decade redistricting battles unfolding in several states, voicing support for California Governor Gavin Newsom‘s cautious approach to revising congressional maps.
Martha’s Vineyard, Aug 20 — Former President Barack Obama has thrown his support behind California Governor Gavin Newsom’s plan to pursue mid-cycle redistricting, framing it as a necessary response to Republican-led efforts in Texas.
Texas Republicans, encouraged by former President Donald Trump, are moving forward with a controversial new congressional map expected to give the GOP as many as five additional seats in the U.S. House ahead of next year’s elections. In response, Newsom and California Democrats are urging voters to approve their own redistricting measure, arguing it is the only way to counter GOP gerrymandering.
“I believe that Governor Newsom’s approach is a responsible approach,” Obama said at a Democratic fundraiser on Martha’s Vineyard, which raised $2 million for the National Democratic Redistricting Committee. He emphasized that Newsom’s plan would only advance if Republican states persist with partisan mapmaking.
Although Obama said political gerrymandering was not his “preference,” he warned that Democrats must respond effectively or risk ceding long-term power. “Republican-controlled state governments… do not appear to believe in this idea of an inclusive, expansive democracy,” he said.
The fundraiser also featured former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and ex-Attorney General Eric Holder, who now chairs the NDRC.