New York’s governor welcomed state legislators who fled Texas to thwart a Republican gerrymander but said she would try to draft one of her own to bolster Democrats.
Here is why Democrats in the Texas House left the state, why Republicans in the Legislature want to redraw political maps and why other states are involved.
The walkout was a sharp escalation in the clash over a redistricting effort. Gov. Greg Abbott threatened to remove the lawmakers who left their posts if they did not return by Monday.
“We’re leaving Texas to fight for Texans,” said Gene Wu, a state representative from Houston and the chair of the Democratic caucus in the Texas House.
As governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger championed the state’s nonpartisan redistricting system. Now, Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to pause it to help Democrats.
The full Texas House will now vote next week on a map drawn to flip five House districts to the G.O.P., but Democrats might walk out to deny Republicans a quorum.
Republicans are pursuing every possible advantage, essentially trying to win elections long before people vote. In response, even some once-squeamish Democrats are talking about fighting ‘fire with fire.’
Mr. Holder, the attorney general in the Obama administration, has long fought to end gerrymandered legislative maps. But a Republican effort in Texas threatens democracy, he said in an interview.
As governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger championed the state’s nonpartisan redistricting system. Now, Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to pause it to help Democrats.
Election Day last November in El Paso, Texas. Republicans in Texas are aiming to gerrymander congressional maps in time for next year’s midterm elections.
After meetings with Democrats from the Texas House, Gavin Newsom and JB Pritzker suggested their states could counter a gerrymander by Texas Republicans.
Two groups of Democrats left Texas to meet with Govs. Gavin Newsom and JB Pritzker, who have suggested their Democratic-controlled states could counter a Texas Republican gerrymander.
President Trump wants Texas Republicans to redraw the state’s House maps to nab as many as five seats now held by Democrats. But no new maps have been publicly proposed yet.
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s ability to redistrict California’s congressional maps is limited because the state has an independent commission that holds that power.
By taking up new congressional maps pushed by President Trump first, Republicans hope to discourage Democrats from walking out of a special session before they vote on flood relief.
As Texas considers redrawing its maps to help Republicans win more seats in Congress, Gov. Gavin Newsom of California has said it should make a similar move to help Democrats.
A special session of the Texas Legislature will address the deadly floods in Hill Country, but the fireworks will come from President Trump’s demand for a newly gerrymandered House map.
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