Obama backs California’s response to Texas redistricting

Former President Barack Obama said he supports California Democrats’ efforts to redraw congressional districts aiming to offset a similar move passed Wednesday by Texas Republicans.

- Oliver O’Connell, The Independent

"I wanted just a fair fight between Republicans and Democrats based on who's got better ideas, and take it to the voters and see what happens," Obama said on Tuesday in a rare political intervention and his first public comments expressing support for the push by California Governor Gavin Newsom.

"But I want to be very clear: Given that Texas is taking direction from a partisan White House that is effectively saying, 'Gerrymander for partisan purposes so we can maintain the House despite our unpopular policies, redistrict right in the middle of a decade between censuses' — which is not how the system was designed — I have tremendous respect for how Governor Newsom has approached this." The Texas House of Representatives passed a new Trump-backed congressional map plan that would net the Republican party as many as five additional seats in next year’s midterms, potentially solidifying GOP control of Congress.