Gov. Gavin Newsom, Democratic lawmakers and his allies launched a special campaign Thursday to ask California voters to approve new members of Congress to reduce the size of the state’s Republican delegation, a move that could determine control of Congress next year and determine Stymie’s agenda for President Trump.
The effort is a response to Republican-led nations, especially Texas, trying to remake their congressional maps to reduce the democratic ranks of the U.S. House in a narrow sense that Trump calls for.
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Speaking to a party group of people at the National Museum of Japanese American in downtown Los Angeles, Newsom said the Republican efforts represent the desperate efforts of a failed president to keep Congress under Republican control to power.
“He doesn’t follow a different set of rules. He doesn’t believe them,” Newsom said. “So we need to take away our way of working. It’s not good enough to just shake hands, hold a candlelight vigil and talk about the way the world should be. We have to recognize the cards we’ve already processed and we have to fire with the fire.”
Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff of California joined the governor. Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-San Bernardino), a union leader, the leader of the coalition that is crucial to provide funding and volunteering, convinced Californians to vote for the “Election Manipulation Response Act.” The voting measures will temporarily abandon the congressional districts established by the independent redivision commission approved by voters in the state.
“Our union fully supports this vote initiative. We are ready to do everything we can to stop this power and to fight back against all attacks on our democracy, against our students and public education,” said Assn, a California teacher. Secretary-General Erika Jones said he represented 310,000 public school teachers.
She said schoolchildren suffered as a result of immigration raids from the Trump administration and cuts in health care funding, after-school curriculum and teacher training.
“Our students deserve better,” she said. “Most Americans don’t do these vicious attacks with him. So what do Trump want to do? Next election and steal our right to fair representation? He wants to stack the deck and continue to cut public services to cut down the pockets of billionaires donors.”
Outside the political rally, Border Patrol agents gathered and arrested at least one person. Newsom told the crowd inside that he suspected it was a coincidence.
Supporters of the Independent Commission currently drawing a map of California’s Congress criticized Democrats for developing a very unusual mid-term reallocation plan. To make Newsom’s factory work, the Democratic-led state legislature must vote for the measure to take measures against the ballots in a November election, and the final decision will depend on California voters.
“Neither mistake is a right, and California should not succumb to the same strategy of Texas. Instead, we should push other states to adopt our independent nonpartisan committee model nationwide,” said Amy Thoma, a spokesman for the Voters First League, which included Charles Munger Jr., including Charles Munger Jr., and Bankrolled Indersent Barlot Barlot Barlot Barlot who measures the action.
She said Munger would strongly oppose any recommendations to circumvent the Independent Commission.
Since voters approved independent congressional re-division in 2010, the California district conducted a group every decade after the U.S. Census.
The Commission does not allow partisan makeup to be considered in each region, nor does it protect incumbents, but focuses on “interested communities,” logical geographical boundaries and the Voting Rights Act.
The current map is drawn in 2021 and will take effect for the 2022 election.
Newsom is working to suspend these regional lines and a new map tailored toward Democrats in front of voters on November 4. He said the plan would have a “trigger”, meaning it would not take effect unless Texas or another Republican-led state moves forward.
Sara Sadhwani, who had served on the re-division of the committee, approved the current congressional district boundaries, said she approved Newsom’s efforts to put the committee’s work aside for the unprecedented threat to American democracy, despite her deep pride in the work she and her colleagues have done.
Sadhwani cites immigration attacks to encourage political violence and the use of the National Guard in U.S. cities. “If that’s not enough, we’re watching executives overstretch, and there’s no doubt that our founding fathers turn to their graves and we have to act. These are signs of dangerous democracy.”
If voters approve the voting measures, the new map will be in effect until the Independent Commission remakes the congressional borders in 2031.
To meet Newsom’s ambitious deadline, the Legislature needs to pass the votes with a two-thirds majority and send it to Newsom’s desk by August 22. The governor’s office and legislative leaders are confident in their ability to reach this threshold in the state legislature and the Senate, and the Democrats have a super citizen.
Newsom first mentioned the idea in mid-July, which means the whole process can be completed in about five weeks. Generally speaking, the process of redrawing the election line in the state and demonstrating a measure that will appear before the voter’s voter is a process that takes months, if not more than a year.
Trump’s interest in Texas Republicans remakes the Congressional map to create five new Republican seats, thus starting a national redistribution battle.
Among them are Florida, Ohio, Indiana and Missouri, where Republicans control state legislators, and New York, Maryland, Illinois, New Jersey, Oregon and Washington, where Democrats are in power.
Democratic lawmakers in Texas fled the state, preventing Republican-led legislature from approving a new map that would invite the Congressional District to support the Republican Party. Democrats work hard because it prevents the legislature from having a quorum to approve the measure. The second special session is expected to begin on Friday. Absent lawmakers face a threat of fines, civil warrants and call for dismissal; Texas Governor Greg Abbott vowed to convene a duplicate special meeting until the map is approved.
In California, the closed-door Galley plan will make the five Houses more dominant to Democrats, according to a draft map reviewed by the Times.
These changes could reduce more than half of Republicans representing the California Congress. The state has the country’s largest congressional delegation with 52 members. Nine Republicans.
The Northern California area represented by Rep. Doug Lamalfa (R-Richvale) could move south, abandon rural areas near the Oregon border, conservative voters, and pick up left-leaning cities in Sonoma County. Sacramento Regional Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-Rocklin) will see his area shift toward the city’s blue center.
The plan will also add more Democrats to the Central Valley District represented by Rep. David Vallador (R-Hanford), who has been a perennial target for Democrats.
Southern California will see some of the biggest changes: Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Bonsall) will see him become more purple by adding Free Palm Springs in a safe Republican area in San Diego County. Younger King (R-Anaheim Hills) and Ken Calvert (R-Corona) will be drawn to the same area, which may force legislators to fight against each other.
The plan will also cover up Democrats representing swing areas, such as Dave Min (D-Irvine) and Derek Tran (D-Orange).
It could also add another area in southeast Los Angeles, which elected California’s first Latino congressman in modern history. Similar seats were cancelled during the 2021 re-division period.
Taryn Luna, a Times worker, contributed to the report from Sacramento.
