Tag: gerrymandering

New York rep wants more ‘migrants’ in Brooklyn ‘just for redistricting purposes’

Rep. Yvette D. Clarke, serving New York’s 9th District in Brooklyn, NY, has said that she would like to see more immigrants into her area “just for redistricting purposes.” Redistricting is an emerging political fight ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

“I’m from Brooklyn, New York,” Clarke said on a Zoom call. “We have a diaspora that can absorb a significant number of these migrants, and that, you know, when I hear colleagues talk about, you know, the doors of the inn being closed, no room. In the end, I’m saying, you know, I need more people in my district, but just for redistricting purposes, and those members could clearly fit here.”

New York joins Texas and California in undertaking redistricting efforts. President Donald Trump has called on Texas to redo its districts to remake some of their districts as GOP majority, saying this could be a gain of 5 seats. The Texas legislature began a special session on Monday to undertake that project.

California Governor Gavin Newsom countered that proposal by saying that he would redo California’s districts. California, however, has an independent commission in the state to create districts, per the state’s constitution.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has also said that “all options” are on the table to win back the House in 2026, including redistricting. “All options are on the table when it comes to winning back control of the House,” he said.

Former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke said that with regard to redistricting across the country. “We have to be absolutely ruthless about getting back in power,” he said. “So yes, in California, in Illinois, in New York, wherever we have the trifecta of power, we have to use that to its absolute extent. And then the last thing: this may end up biting Republicans in the ass. You have the possibility that they will disperse Republican voters to make up these three or four or five new congressional districts and put those districts in play.”

The population of District 9 in New York is about 771,000, which is greater than the population of two states and the District of Columbia. Brooklyn at large has a population of 2.6 million people, which is larger than the populations of 16 states. By recent estimates, there are nearly 600,000 illegal immigrants in New York City, with the boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens holding the bulk of that population.

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Newsom Says California Will Hold Special Redistricting Election to Counter Texas’s Plan

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said on Friday that the state will move forward with a ballot measure in November to redraw its congressional map in response to a Republican-backed redistricting plan in Texas.

Speaking alongside state Democratic leaders, Newsom said they would call for a special election in the first week of November to vote on redrawing the congressional map, a move that could potentially add five more U.S. House seats to the Democratic tally.

“We are talking about emergency measures to respond to what’s happening in Texas, and we will nullify what happens in Texas,” the Democratic governor told reporters.

“We will pick up five seats with the consent of the people, and that’s the difference between the approach we’re taking and the approach they’re taking. We’re doing it [on a] temporary basis,” he added.

Newsom also reaffirmed that the state will remain committed to its independent redistricting process. The Democrats said they expected to have a newly agreed-upon map, based on previous plans reviewed by the state’s independent redistricting commission, ready for public scrutiny next week, three months before it would go to voters.

Former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who attended the conference, backed Newsom’s decision and praised Texas Democratic lawmakers for their efforts to block the GOP’s redistricting plan.

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Texas AG Ken Paxton Launches Criminal Investigation Into Beto O’Rourke’s PAC For Unlawfully Funding Runaway Democrats

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton launched an investigation into Beto O’Rourke’s PAC for unlawfully funding runaway Democrats.

It was reported this week that Beto’s PAC funded the private plane that transported the Texas Democrat lawmakers to Illinois so they could block GOP redistricting efforts.

The Free Beacon reported:

Now We Know: Beto O’Rourke’s PAC Funded Texas Dems’ Private Jet to Illinois

State lawmakers in Texas make just $7,200 a year. A group of Democratic legislators spent roughly four times that amount to take a private jet to Illinois in an attempt to block their Republican counterparts from passing a new congressional map. But they didn’t have to worry about the price tag—because Beto O’Rourke’s PAC picked it up.

That’s according to a report in the Texas Tribune, which cited two people involved in the effort to raise funds for Texas Democrats’ walkout. O’Rourke’s PAC, Powered by People, is “armed with a $3.5 million war chest” and has covered most of the costs associated with the walkout so far, including “air transport, lodging, and logistical support,” the outlet reported. Every dollar the group receives going forward will go toward supporting the walkout.

On Wednesday, Ken Paxton announced he launched a criminal investigation into Beto’s PAC.

“Any Democrat coward breaking the law by taking a Beto Bribe will be held accountable,” Paxton said.

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Massachusetts Governor Criticizes Texas Redistricting – From a State With ZERO Republican Representation

Democrat Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey was asked about the effort to redraw congressional districts in Texas and criticized the move, suggesting that efforts by Democrats to do more gerrymandering in response is justified.

The irony of this is that despite the fact that about a third of the state of Massachusetts voted for Trump, there is ZERO Republican representation there.

This fact was apparently lost on Healey.

Hot Air reported:

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey now has Republicans quaking in their boots.

In response to the Texas legislature’s move to redistrict its state to create more Republican districts, Healey is making a brave stand and threatening revenge.

She, too, will redistrict the state in retaliation.

It is a frightening prospect, I know. In a state known for its fairness to Republicans, a change in attitude could have serious repercussions.

Currently, the state has nine Congressional Districts and nine Democrats representing them. Should a less favorable map be created, the state will have nine Congressional Districts and nine Democrats representing them.

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GOP Congressman Pushes Bill That Could Block Texas Republicans from Redrawing Districts to Secure House Majority

Republican Congressman Kevin Kiley (R-CA) introduced legislation Monday that could kneecap the GOP’s efforts to reclaim and secure dominance in the U.S. House of Representatives.

“I’ve officially introduced legislation to stop Newsom’s plan to abolish the Citizens Redistricting Commission, seize its powers for himself, and remove all checks and balances in California. I’m calling on House Leadership to bring it up for a vote and end this insanity,” Kiley wrote on X.

I’ve officially introduced legislation to stop Newsom’s plan to abolish the Citizens Redistricting Commission, seize its powers for himself, and remove all checks and balances in California.

I’m calling on House Leadership to bring it up for a vote and end this insanity. pic.twitter.com/ggXDMTuYNI

— Rep. Kevin Kiley (@RepKiley) August 5, 2025

According to the press release:

“Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-CA) will be introducing legislation to prohibit Mid-Decade Redistricting nationwide. The bill, which Kiley plans to introduce tomorrow, will nullify new maps adopted by states before the 2030 census, including any that are adopted this year.

For decades, the California Supreme Court has held that the State Constitution forbids mid-decade redistricting, and since 2010 redistricting in the state has been done by a voter-approved Independent Citizens Commission. But now, Governor Gavin Newsom is seeking to overturn that long-standing precedent, sideline the Citizens Commission, undo the will of voters, and return line-drawing power to himself and other partisan politicians. The Governor’s brazen scheme has been denounced by groups ranging from Common Cause to the California League of Women Voters.

“Gavin Newsom is trying to subvert the will of voters and do lasting damage to democracy in California,” Rep. Kiley said. “Fortunately, Congress has the ability to protect California voters using its authority under the Elections Clause of the U.S. Constitution. This will also stop a damaging redistricting war from breaking out across the country.””

But the problem with Kiley’s bill is that it would not only affect California, but would also ban all 50 states from redrawing their congressional maps before the 2030 census.

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Gavin Newsom’s Gerrymandering Post Backfires in Spectacular Fashion

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has moved forward with legal efforts to hold Democratic lawmakers accountable after they fled the state in protest of Republican-led redistricting efforts.

The Texas Supreme Court has now ordered Democratic State Representative Gene Wu, a central figure in the walkout, to formally respond to the governor’s legal action.

The controversy stems from a renewed push by the Texas legislature to pass new redistricting maps.

In response, several Democratic legislators left the state to prevent the Republican-controlled House from reaching the quorum necessary to conduct legislative business.

The move effectively stalled legislative action in Austin and has now resulted in potential legal consequences.

Governor Abbott’s legal filing seeks to challenge the Democrats’ decision to abandon their legislative duties.

The Texas Supreme Court’s directive to Rep. Wu marks the latest development in an ongoing standoff over the redistricting process. The Court has not yet announced a timeline for a final ruling on the matter.

While the legislative impasse continues, other state issues remain unresolved, including responses to recent flooding and other critical matters requiring legislative attention.

The walkout has drawn criticism from those who argue the legislators’ absence is hindering necessary governance.

The debate over redistricting has also spilled into the national political scene.

California Governor Gavin Newsom weighed in on the matter with a post on X, where he listed red states with zero or just one Democratic House representative.

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Don Lemon Embroiled In New Controversy

Former CNN host Don Lemon is once again facing intense backlash after appearing to give tacit approval to an outrageous Holocaust comparison made by a Texas Democrat during a livestream discussion on the state’s 2026 redistricting battle.

Texas State Rep. Jolanda Jones (D–Houston), who recently fled to Illinois along with dozens of other Democrats to block a Republican redistricting proposal, created outrage when she likened the GOP’s mid-decade redistricting efforts to the Holocaust.

“I will liken this to the Holocaust,” Jones said. “People are like, ‘well, how did the Holocaust happen? How is somebody in a position to kill all them people?’”

“Well, good people remained silent or good people didn’t realize that what happens to them can very soon happen to me or somebody I love,” Jones claimed.

As she delivered the incendiary remarks, Lemon nodded in agreement and muttered, “Mmhmm.”

Jones remained defiant, even as the Holocaust analogy threatens to derail her party’s messaging. “God forbid they end up targeting you and your family,” she added in her closing line.

Jones, who was elected in 2022, made the comments during a virtual town hall discussing the Republican-led redistricting plan. That proposal—unveiled earlier this summer—aims to redraw 37 of Texas’s 38 congressional districts, potentially giving the GOP control of up to 30 seats ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

Democrats claim the map disproportionately targets Black and Latino-majority districts in cities like Houston, Austin, and Dallas–Fort Worth. But comparing political maneuvering to one of the most horrific genocides in human history has even some liberals backing away from Jones.

Jones’s full comments were even more dire. “If you think it can’t happen, it can,” she said. “We will lose all of our rights. And if you think it can’t happen, it can. And I will liken this to the Holocaust.”

While most of the attention has focused on her remarks, Lemon’s visible affirmation is raising eyebrows as well. The former CNN anchor, who has previously come under fire for bizarre on-air moments, including suggesting women over 40 are “past their prime,” was recently attempting a career pivot through online platforms. Many are now calling for advertisers to cut ties.

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Obama caught insisting gerrymandering is wrong when Republicans do it, but it’s ‘democracy’ when Dems take advantage

It’s unfair, it’s wrong, it’s “gerrymandering” when Republicans do it.

But it’s “democracy” when the perpetrators are Democrats.

That odd bit of hypocrisy is courtesy Barack Obama, who this week joined in an orchestrated campaign by Democrats to condemn a redistricting proposal in Texas.

It would, if fact, give GOP members a higher probability of winning some seats, analysts have said.

Obama wrote, “We can’t lose focus on what matters – right now, Republicans in Texas are trying to gerrymander district lines to unfairly win five seats in next year’s midterm elections. This is a power grab that undermines our democracy.”

However, Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, pointed out the two different definitions of redistricting, or gerrymandering, Democrats, including Obama, trot out.

Democrats “only call it ‘gerrymandering’ when it’s in a Republican state,” he explained. “When it happens in Illinois, they call it ‘democracy.’”

A report on the politicking by Obama, in Twitchy, cited a 2012 article in the New Yorker in which Obama confessed that his own national political career “was launched with the assistance of gerrymandering that Barack had a personal hand in helping with.”

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Redistricting Isn’t A ‘Threat To Democracy,’ But These 4 Dem Vote-Rigging Tactics Are

For a party that never stops lecturing Americans about “defending democracy,” Democrats sure spend a lot of time trying to undermine its outcomes. Whether it’s weaponizing the legal system to sideline their opponents, overturning voter-approved ID laws, or trying to scrap the Electoral College entirely, Democrats treat every election loss as a problem to be solved — by changing the rules. But let Republican voters in Texas elect lawmakers who — in compliance with a recent DOJ directive — draw new district maps and Democrats clutch their pearls. But it’s not redistricting that threatens “democracy” (in actuality, our constitutional republic), it’s Democrats’ never-ending crusade to manipulate the election rules until they guarantee permanent power.

Fifty-seven Texas House Democrats abandoned the state on Sunday and headed to Illinois, New York, and Massachusetts to protest a new redistricting proposal. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called a special legislative session to vote on new maps that would fall in line with both a recent Department of Justice finding that four districts were unlawfully gerrymandered on racial grounds as well as a Fifth Circuit Court ruling.

Democrats decided to flee the state to avoid voting on the maps.

“We’re leaving Texas to fight for Texans,” Texas House Democratic Caucus Chair Gene Wu said in a statement on Sunday. “We’re not walking out on our responsibilities; we’re walking out on a rigged system that refuses to listen to the people we represent.”

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said “everything” is on “the table” to “fight back,” and that this is “about rigging the system against the rights of all Americans for years to come.”

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said “this is what fighting for our democracy looks like.” Newsom called it a “five-alarm fire for democracy in the United States of America.”

But for all the screeching the left does about “democracy,” they sure have had no problem upending it when it delivers outcomes they don’t like.

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Texas Dems ripped for ‘cartoonishly dumb’ strategy to flee to blue state notorious for gerrymandering

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is rolling out the red carpet for Democratic state lawmakers who fled Texas as they push back against a move by President Donald Trump to add five Republican-controlled congressional seats in their state.

“I’m going to do everything I can to make sure that they’re welcome here, that they have the ability to stay as long as they need to and want to,” Pritzker, a Democrat, said on Sunday evening as the lawmakers arrived in Illinois.

The lawmakers fled Texas in order to prevent the quorum needed in the Republican-dominated state legislature to vote on Monday on the new redistricting maps, which passed a committee vote this past weekend along party lines.

The redistricting push in Texas is part of a broader effort by the GOP across the country to keep control of the House and cushion losses elsewhere in the country, as the party in power traditionally faces political headwinds and loses seats in midterm elections.

But veteran Republican strategist Matt Whitlock argued that the decision by most of the Democratic lawmakers to head to Illinois – with a few others decamping in two other blue states, New York and Massachusetts – was “cartoonishly dumb.”

Tom Bevan, the RealClearPolitics co-founder and president, wrote on X, “The idea that Texas Democrats would flee to Illinois, a state where Dems have abused gerrymandering to comical levels, is perfection.”

“To protest ‘partisan gerrymandering’ Texas Democrats are fleeing to…Illinois,” Republican Missouri Senator Eric Scmitt wrote on X. “You can’t make this up.”

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