Eric Holder, the former attorney general who chairs the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, will hold a call with House Democrats on Wednesday.
The call, hosted by the DCCC, comes as the nationwide redistricting war is dominating the national political discussion.
Republicans are readying to push through new maps in Texas, Missouri and potentially Florida. The Trump administration is leaning on Indiana to redraw as well. But not all states that can easily redistrict this year are willing to do so.
It’s more difficult for Democrats to respond in kind. California offers one of their best chances.
Texas. Statehouse Democrats from the Lone Star State are entering week two of their residence outside the state in order to starve Republicans of the quorum they need to conduct business.
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) will hold a news conference with Texas Democrats in the morning, followed by an afternoon event featuring Rep. Chuy García (D-Ill.).
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott told the hosts of the “Ruthless” podcast that state law enforcement is working with federal counterparts to find the Democratic lawmakers.
Finding the Texas Democrats isn’t the real issue, however. Abbott and Texas Republicans may not have a legal way to force the Texas Democrats to return home by the end of the session. But Abbott has vowed to call another session if needed – or more than one.
California. Gov. Gavin Newsom held a press conference Friday with the Texas Democratic legislators. Also in attendance: former Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Zoe Lofgren, chair of the California Democratic Congressional Delegation.
Newsom confirmed his plans to hold a November election, asking voters to pause the independent redistricting commission and allow the legislature to draw a new map.
As we’ve reported, the new map aims to give Democrats five pickup opportunities and will target GOP Reps. Kevin Kiley, Ken Calvert, David Valadao, Doug LaMalfa and Darrell Issa.
Lofgren said at the presser that every Democrat in the California delegation agreed to a redraw of the map.
California Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas said he expects proposed maps to be released to voters this week.
New Hampshire. Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte told WMUR she remains opposed to any mid-decade redistricting in New Hampshire. This won’t sit well with the White House, which has been leaning on Republican governors to redraw maps to benefit the GOP.
Republicans in the New Hampshire legislature initially drew a map that would target Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas only to see it vetoed by GOP Gov. Chris Sununu. In her gubernatorial primary, Ayotte said she disagreed with Sununu’s decision.
But Ayotte later said she believed the time to redistrict had passed, and she reiterated that again in this latest interview: “The timing is off for this because we are literally in the middle of the census period.”
