California Leaders Eye Special Election to Counter Texas Redistricting Plans

KQED's Forum

KQED

News Commentary, News, Politics

4.2 • 727 Ratings

🗓️ 5 August 2025

⏱️ 55 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

California Democrats have long criticized gerrymandering, the practice of drawing district maps to influence election outcomes. But as Texas Republicans have unveiled district maps intended to favor conservatives in the 2026 midterms, California lawmakers are sketching new plans of their own. Governor Gavin Newsom has announced plans to seek a special election in November, asking California voters to approve new districts that might lend Democrats an edge in the national election – temporarily sidelining California’s independent districting commission. We’ll talk with political reporters about what’s at stake in this redistricting fight. Guests: Laurel Rosenhall, California Politics Editor, LA Times Alexei Koseff, Capitol reporter, CalMatters Erin Covey, U.S. House of Representatives editor, The Cook Political Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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0:00.0	Support for Kiki Weedy Podcasts comes from San Francisco Opera,
0:03.7	a company sister Helen Prejean on a life-altering journey where her faith is put to the test.
0:08.4	This fall celebrate the homecoming of one of America's most important operas, Dead Man Walking.
0:13.1	September 14th through the 28th.
0:15.4	This episode is presented by eBay.
0:18.9	Rob, everyone loves a deal and a bargain from time to time, don't they?
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0:43.4	When it's this easy to sell for free and there's great deals on things you love, you can't help
0:48.2	but say when it's eBay. It excludes vehicles and business sellers.
0:54.1	From KQED.
0:56.0	From KQED.
0:57.0	I'm Mina Kim. Coming up on forum, a closer look at redistricting efforts ahead of the midterms.
1:18.2	When North Carolina redrew its voting maps, it gave Republicans three new seats in 2024, the size of its current House majority.
1:25.6	Now, Texas is trying to redraw its voting maps at the urging of
1:28.9	President Trump, who is hoping it will mean five more Republican wins in 2026. Governor Gavin Newsom
1:34.7	is pledging to fight fire with fire if Texas succeeds and redraw California's maps to favor
1:40.2	more Democrats. Everything is at stake if we're not successful next year in taking back
1:45.9	the House of Representatives. But can our state go down this road and should it? We learn more after this
1:51.6	news. Welcome to Forum. I'm Mina Kim. Texas Democrats have left the state to delay a vote on a bill to
2:03.8	redraw its voting maps and make it easier for Republicans to pick up five more seats in the midterms.
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