After Texas Republicans redrew their state’s congressional district map to give Republicans five additional U.S. House seats, Democrats in California decided they had little choice but to respond in kind. They could not, however, simply approve a gerrymandered map of their own, because state law prohibits such tactics.
To succeed, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and his allies would need voters’ permission to create an exception to state law. The result was Proposition 50, and as my MSNBC colleague Allison Detzel explained, it was a triumph for its proponents.
Voters in California have given Gov. Gavin Newsom the green light to redraw the state’s congressional maps ahead of next year’s midterm elections. NBC News’ Decision Desk projected resounding approval for Proposition 50, which will allow the state to temporarily scrap its independent redistricting commission and use a more Democratic-friendly congressional map in 2026.
The results were lopsided: Based on the latest vote tally, roughly 64% of Californians voted in support of the ballot measure, while only 36% opposed it.
Democrats already control 43 of the Golden State’s 52 seats. Once the new map is approved, that total will be on track to reach 48 of the 52 seats.
Several hours before the polls closed in California, Donald Trump wrote online that the redistricting effort was “unconstitutional” (a word he routinely applies to stuff he doesn’t like), before adding that the voting process was “RIGGED.” The president concluded that the process “is under very serious legal and criminal review,” which sounds very much like a hollow threat.
Soon after, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt insisted that there was “fraud” in the election, and when pressed for evidence, the president’s chief spokesperson added that her baseless claim is “just a fact” — because she said so.
The morning after Prop 50’s landslide win, House Speaker Mike Johnson went further, calling the voters’ verdict a “tragedy,” before condemning Newsom’s “immoral leadership” and California Democrats’ willingness to “rig the system to win.”
So when Republicans engage in mid-decade redistricting abuses in Texas, Missouri and North Carolina and take steps to ensure GOP victories long before voters have the chance to cast ballots, that’s fine. When Democrats respond in kind, that’s “unconstitutional,” “fraudulent,” “tragic” and evidence of a party indifferent to propriety.
It’s helpful when Republican leaders clarify their position on matters like these for the public.
This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
