Governor Gavin Newsom has announced that California will proceed with mid-decade redistricting, aiming to counteract similar actions in Texas. In response, Common Cause, a long-time advocate for redistricting reform in the state, is urging the Governor and Legislature to use established fairness criteria for drawing new electoral maps.
“Common Cause will not endorse partisan gerrymandering, even when its motive is to offset more extreme gerrymandering by a different party. However, a blanket condemnation in this moment would amount to a call for unilateral political disarmament in the face of authoritarian efforts to undermine fair representation and democracy,” the organization stated.
The group’s stance builds on its history of fighting against partisan gerrymandering. Common Cause previously took part in the Supreme Court case Common Cause v. Rucho and contributed to drafting provisions in the Freedom to Vote Act that seek to ban such practices. The organization also played a leading role in creating the California Citizens Redistricting Commission through ballot initiatives. According to Common Cause, independent commissions are still considered best practice for redistricting nationwide.
Common Cause clarified it will not oppose mid-decade redistricting measures if they meet specific fairness standards. The organization outlined several recommendations for California’s approach:
– Any constitutional amendment should specify that new district lines will be drawn only if Texas acts first to increase its partisan advantage before the 2026 midterm elections.
– Public participation should be prioritized throughout the process, including opportunities for voters to provide feedback on proposed changes.
– New legislation should incorporate as many protections from Article XXI, section 2 of the state constitution as possible to safeguard underrepresented voters.
– State leaders are encouraged to support citizen-led independent redistricting commissions as a long-term solution and back federal legislation like the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and Freedom to Vote Act.
– Any new district maps must expire after the 2030 Census.
Additional details are available in letters from Common Cause addressed to state officials and in documents outlining their six fairness criteria.
