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Thursday, October 22, 2026

Tag: redistricting
October 14, 2025
Election Integrity
Politics

Is Obama Becoming an Election Denier?

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Former President Barack Obama appeared in an advertisement urging California voters to support Governor Gavin Newsom’s (D-CA) redistricting campaign, Proposition 50, ahead of a special election next month, claiming Republicans are stealing the 2026 midterm elections.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Barack Obama, Gov. Newsom, California voters, and Republican lawmakers targeted by the campaign.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The ad began airing on Tuesday, with the special election set for November 4 in California.

💬KEY QUOTE: Obama’s ad accuses Republicans of attempting to “steal enough seats in Congress to rig the next election and wield unchecked power for two more years.”

🎯IMPACT: If passed, Prop 50 would circumvent the state’s independent redistricting commission to target the districts of five GOP lawmakers in California, in the name of countering Republican redistricting efforts in other states.

IN FULL

Former President Barack Obama is urging California voters to back Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom‘s Proposition 50 redistricting campaign, claiming it is needed to stop Republicans from stealing the 2026 midterm congressional elections. In a 30-second advertisement released Tuesday, Obama stated, “California, the whole nation is counting on you. Democracy is on the ballot November 4.”

Obama’s ad accuses Republicans of attempting to “steal enough seats in Congress to rig the next election and wield unchecked power for two more years.” He urges voters to approve Prop 50, claiming it would “stop Republicans in their tracks.”

The advertisement is drawing allegations that Obama is setting the stage for Democrats to deny and undermine the outcome of the midterm election results should Republicans retain control of Congress, while justifying Newsom’s bid to tilt the congressional map in the Democrats’ favor. Notably, the former Biden government moved to criminally prosecute Republicans, including President Donald J. Trump, for challenging the integrity of the 2020 elections.

Newsom launched the campaign earlier this year. It aims to overturn his state’s independent redistricting commission and allow the Democrat-controlled legislature to redraw California’s congressional map. Newsom and his allies are specifically targeting five California Republican congressmen, hoping to alter their districts to be more favorable to Democratic candidates.

While Democrats hold a financial advantage in the campaign, polling indicates that a majority of California voters oppose Proposition 50. At an August fundraiser, Obama acknowledged that “political gerrymandering” was not his “preference” but argued that Democrats must respond to President Trump and his congressional allies. He warned that GOP-controlled state governments and the White House “do not appear to believe in this idea of an inclusive, expansive democracy.”

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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September 12, 2025
News
Politics

State Legislature Approves Trump-Endorsed GOP Redistricting Plan.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Missouri state legislature passed a redistricting plan that could add another Republican-leaning House seat.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Missouri lawmakers, Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe, President Donald J. Trump, and Missouri Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The plan was passed on Friday in Missouri and awaits the governor’s signature.

💬KEY QUOTE: “A new, much fairer, and much improved, Congressional Map, has now overwhelmingly passed both Chambers of the Missouri Legislature.” – Donald Trump

🎯IMPACT: The new map could shift Missouri to seven Republican-leaning districts and one Democratic-leaning district, potentially strengthening the GOP in the House of Representatives.

IN FULL

Missouri lawmakers have approved a new congressional redistricting plan that could shift the state’s political arithmetic further in favor of Republicans. The state senate passed the plan on Friday, sending it to Republican Governor Mike Kehoe, who has already signaled his intention to sign it into law. The state house had approved the measure earlier in the week.

The newly drawn map would divide the Kansas City area in a way that makes Democratic Representative Emanuel Cleaver’s district more conservative-leaning. If enacted, the changes would alter Missouri’s congressional makeup from the current six Republican-leaning and two Democrat-leaning districts to a seven-to-one split.

President Donald J. Trump has endorsed the Missouri plan, applauding lawmakers on Truth Social. He wrote that the new map “will, hopefully, give us an additional Seat in Congress” and help send another “MAGA Republican to Congress.”

“A new, much fairer, and much improved, Congressional Map, has now overwhelmingly passed both Chambers of the Missouri Legislature,” he added.

Missouri’s redistricting push follows similar efforts in other key states. In Texas, Republican Governor Greg Abbott recently signed a bill that increases the number of GOP-leaning districts from 25 to 30 out of 38, cutting five Democratic-leaning seats in the process. In California, Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom has proposed shifting redistricting powers away from the state’s independent commission and placing them under legislative control in retaliation for the Texan redistricting move.

However, Newsom’s scheme has been met with public backlash, with a recent poll showing nearly two-thirds of Californians oppose it.

Image by GPA Photo Archive.

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August 29, 2025
Politics

TX Gov. Signs Redistricting Bill, Cutting Five Democrat House Seats.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) signed a new redistricting bill to redraw the state’s congressional map, favoring Republicans.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Governor Abbott, Texas legislators, and President Donald J. Trump.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The bill was signed on Friday in Texas following approval by the state house and senate.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Big WIN for the Great State of Texas!!! Everything Passed, on our way to FIVE more Congressional seats and saving your Rights, your Freedoms, and your Country, itself.” – Donald Trump

🎯IMPACT: The new map will increase Republican-majority districts from 25 to 30, removing several Democratic-majority districts.

IN FULL

Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) has signed a new redistricting bill that favors Republicans in the state’s congressional map. The bill, signed on Friday, follows a contentious process during which state Democrats staged a weeks-long walkout earlier this month.

In a video posted to X (formerly Twitter), Abbott described the bill as creating “the one big, beautiful map that ensures fairer representation in the United States Congress for Texas.” The bill was approved by the Texas House of Representatives in an 88-52 party-line vote before being passed by the Texas Senate early last Saturday.

President Donald J. Trump, whose request for new congressional maps prompted the redistricting, celebrated the move last week on Truth Social, writing: “Big WIN for the Great State of Texas!!! Everything Passed, on our way to FIVE more Congressional seats and saving your Rights, your Freedoms, and your Country, itself.” He added, “Texas never lets us down. Florida, Indiana, and others are looking to do the same thing.”

The new map increases Republican-majority districts from 25 to 30 out of Texas’s 38 districts. It also eliminates Democrat-majority districts in key urban areas such as Houston, Austin, and the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.

However, the move has drawn backlash from Democrat-aligned election and lawfare groups. Demetria McCain, policy director for the Legal Defense Fund, stated, “Black voters are not a tool for legislators to use to cut up maps as they see fit. This redistricting process in Texas is a shameful power grab at the expense of Black voices.”

Oni Blair, executive director of the ACLU Texas chapter, also condemned the move, calling it “disgraceful.”

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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August 20, 2025
News
Politics

Texas Set to Approve Trump-Backed Redistricting Bill.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Texas legislature is advancing a new congressional redistricting bill put forward by Republicans following weeks of Democrat sabotage.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Texas Republicans, Texas Democrats, Governor Greg Abbott (R), and Democrat governors such as New York’s Kathy Hochul and California’s Gavin Newsom.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Texas, following a Democratic walkout to deny quorum in early August; Democrats returned this Monday.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The derelict Democrats spent two weeks of shirking their responsibilities and wasting taxpayer money running from a fight.” – Gov. Abbott.

🎯IMPACT: If passed, the Texas map could flip five Democratic seats to Republican control, intensifying national redistricting battles.

IN FULL

The Texas legislature is set to consider a new congressional redistricting proposal introduced by Republicans on Wednesday, after weeks of sabotage by Democratic lawmakers. Without the numbers to vote down the proposal, Democrats fled the state to deny the legislature a quorum—resulting in Speaker Dustin Burrows issuing civil warrants for the chamber’s sergeant-at-arms and state troopers to arrest them.

Republicans view the Democrats’ return on Monday as a win. If enacted, the proposed new map could shift five congressional seats currently held by Democrats into Republican hands.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott reacted to the Democrats’ return, saying, “The derelict Democrats spent two weeks shirking their responsibilities and wasting taxpayer money running from a fight. Now Republicans will do what we were always going to do: pass the new maps and a host of conservative legislation.”

In response, New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D) has declared her intent to “fight fire with fire,” pledging that Democrats in her state will move forward with their own redistricting efforts. California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) have followed suit, putting forth a new congressional map in California that could flip five Republican-held districts to the Democrats, despite major opposition from even their own voters.

GOP-controlled states like Ohio, Florida, Indiana, and Missouri are actively pursuing or weighing their own redistricting revisions. Democratic-leaning Maryland and Illinois have joined New York and California in working to redraw their political maps.

Image by Chmorich.

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August 18, 2025
Election Integrity
Politics

Court Blocks GOP Redistricting Reforms to Preserve Black ‘Voting Power.’

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Judges for the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against Louisiana’s request to enforce a congressional redistricting map, alleging it is an unconstitutional racial gerrymander.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, Louisiana’s Republican-majority legislature, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and other plaintiffs.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The ruling was issued recently, and the case centers on Louisiana’s congressional map drawn after the 2020 census.

💬KEY QUOTE: “There is no legal basis for this proposition, and the state offers no evidence that conditions in Louisiana have changed,” the court stated.

🎯IMPACT: The ruling is a temporary win for the ACLU and plaintiffs, with the Supreme Court expected to issue the final decision.

IN FULL

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has denied Louisiana‘s request to enforce its congressional redistricting map, initially passed by the Republican-majority legislature in 2022. Judges ruled the map violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act by diluting the votes of black residents through practices described as “packing” and “cracking” black voters, undermining their voting power.

Notably, 83 percent of black voters nationwide backed Democrat candidate Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.

The court rejected Louisiana’s argument that race-based remedies are no longer necessary, stating, “There is no legal basis for this proposition, and the state offers no evidence that conditions in Louisiana have changed.” One judge issued a stay before the decision could take effect, though the Supreme Court had already stayed the map earlier in the year.

The Supreme Court is also currently reviewing the case in Louisiana v. Callais and has requested additional arguments from both sides. The focus remains on whether Louisiana’s redistricting efforts were narrowly tailored to meet constitutional requirements. Justices are expected to weigh in further during the fall term.

The litigation comes amid broader redistricting battles across the country, with both Republican- and Democrat-led states revising their maps ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. States like Texas and California are engaged in legal and political fights over their congressional maps, and the outcomes of these disputes could significantly impact the balance of power in Congress during the next election cycle.

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August 14, 2025
Politics

Californians Reject Newsom’s Redistricting Plot, Poll Shows.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom’s plan to transfer redistricting authority from an independent commission to the Democrat-dominated state legislature faces significant public opposition, according to a recent poll.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Governor Gavin Newsom, California voters, and the state legislature.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Poll conducted between July 28 and August 12, 2025, across California.

💬KEY QUOTE: “If the other states call off their redistricting efforts, we will do the same. And American democracy will be better for it.” – Gavin Newsom

🎯IMPACT: The move could lead to intensified political battles over congressional maps and potential retaliation from other states.

IN FULL

A plan to further gerrymander California’s congressional districts, pushed by Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA), is being widely panned by Golden State voters. According to a new Politico–Citrin Center–Possibility Lab poll, Newsom’s gerrymander proposal, seeking to shift redistricting authority from California’s independent commission—enshrined in the state constitution—to the California legislature, is opposed by nearly two-thirds of respondents. Notably, the change would require voter approval through a statewide referendum, scheduled for November.

The survey, conducted between July 28 and August 12 among 1,445 registered voters in California, revealed that Californians overwhelmingly favor the independent panel. Only 36 percent of respondents support Newsom‘s plan, including a mere 39 percent of Democrats and 34 percent of Republicans.

Newsom has framed his redistricting effort as a countermeasure to Republican-led initiatives in states like Texas, where GOP lawmakers are pursuing new congressional maps that could secure up to five additional House seats for Republicans. In response, Newsom stated, “If the other states call off their redistricting efforts, we will do the same. And American democracy will be better for it.”

Critics, including Vice President J.D. Vance, have questioned the impartiality of California’s current congressional maps, which some argue already favor Democrats. The Princeton University Gerrymandering Project rated California’s map a “B” overall but gave it an “F” for competitiveness. Republicans currently hold just 17 percent of the state’s congressional seats, despite Donald Trump securing 38.3 percent of the vote in the 2024 presidential election.

The redistricting debate comes as other Democrat-led states, such as Illinois and Maryland—two of the most heavily gerrymandered states in the country—signal their willingness to redraw their maps in response to Republican efforts.

Meanwhile, Texas House Democrats recently returned home after fleeing the state to block a GOP redistricting proposal; however, another special session on the matter is expected to be called soon.

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August 12, 2025
Politics

Texas AG Ken Paxton Seeks Contempt Charge Against Beto for Funding Runaway Dems.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) announced legal action to hold former Democratic Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D) in contempt for alleged unlawful fundraising activities.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, former Rep. Beto O’Rourke, and O’Rourke’s organization, Powered by People.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The contempt action was announced on August 12, 2025.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Beto told me ‘to come and take,’ so I did and beat him in court. Now, he still thinks he’s above the law, so I’m working to put him behind bars.” – Ken Paxton

🎯IMPACT: The restraining order halts O’Rourke’s fundraising efforts for Democrat lawmakers who fled Texas to deny the state legislature a quorum, and Paxton is pursuing further legal consequences.

IN FULL

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) has announced his office is taking legal action against former Democratic Congressman and perennial failed candidate Robert Francis “Beto” O’Rourke, accusing him of violating a temporary restraining order that prohibits fundraising for Democrats who fled the state during the legislature’s special session for redistricting to deny it a quorum. Paxton declared that O’Rourke’s actions constitute a contemptuous and “blatant violation” of the court order.

The restraining order, granted by a Tarrant County District Judge on Friday, came after Paxton sued O’Rourke and his organization, Powered by People. The lawsuit alleges that O’Rourke engaged in a “misleading financial-influence scheme” to support Democrat legislators who broke quorum in protest of Republican redistricting efforts. The judge’s order blocked O’Rourke and Powered by People from further fundraising activities.

In a statement, Paxton remarked, “Robert Francis [O’Rourke] flagrantly and knowingly violated the court order I secured that prevents him from raising funds and distributing any more Beto Bribes. He’s about to find out that running your mouth and ignoring the rule of law has consequences in Texas. It’s time to lock him up.”

O’Rourke, who served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2013 to 2019 and in former President Joe Biden’s cabinet, has become a well-known figure in Texas politics, mostly due to a series of humiliating statewide election defeats. He lost a challenge against Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) in 2018 and Republican Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) in 2022 and also failed in his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020.

Paxton emphasized the significance of the legal action in a post on X (formerly Twitter), writing, “I just defeated Beto O’Rourke in court. We secured a major victory stopping runaway Democrats from taking ‘Beto Bribes’ and preventing deceptive fundraising.”

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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August 12, 2025
Politics

Supreme Court Could Decide Fate of Fugitive Texas Democrats.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Texas House of Representatives has filed lawsuits in Illinois and California courts to domesticate civil arrest warrants for House Democrats who fled the state to block a vote on redistricting. Should the two states reject the warrants, the matter could find its way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Texas House Democrats, Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows (R), Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker (D), and California Governor Gavin Newsom (D).

📍WHEN & WHERE: Lawsuits were filed recently in Illinois and California after Democrats fled Texas during a special session.

🎯IMPACT: If Illinois and California courts refuse to enforce the warrants, the matter could escalate to the U.S. Supreme Court.

IN FULL

The Texas House of Representatives has filed arrest warrants for 56 Texas Democrat lawmakers currently hiding in Illinois and California. They left the state to prevent voting on a redistricting plan during a special session. Each of the lawsuits asks courts in Democrat-controlled California and Illinois to domesticate warrants under the Full Faith and Credit Clause of the U.S. Constitution, enabling the absent lawmakers to be detained and returned to Texas.

However, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker (D) has already declared that his state will not comply, insisting that Illinois is not obligated to honor the warrants unless a federal crime has been committed. He stated, “There is literally no federal law applicable to this situation. None.” It is suspected that California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) will likewise ignore the warrants.

The situation could set up a major showdown before the U.S. Supreme Court if Illinois and California continue to refuse to enforce the Texas warrants. Notably, the U.S. Constitution’s Full Faith and Credit Clause mandates states to recognize and enforce public acts and judicial proceedings from other states. Compounding the situation is the reported involvement of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in tracking down and possibly arresting the missing Texas Democrats—a factor that could expedite any federal court challenge.

The lawsuits argue that Illinois and California must treat Texas’s Quorum Warrants as their own civil orders. They cite federal statute 28 U.S.C. § 1738, which codifies the Full Faith and Credit Clause and the Judicial Comity doctrine. Precedent from a 2016 U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the Full Faith and Credit Clause supports Texas’s position, requiring state courts to enforce judgments from other states.

Courts in Illinois and California have yet to schedule hearings on the matter.

Image by Joe Ravi.

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August 7, 2025
News

Trump Declares Illegal Immigrants Will Not Be Counted in Census.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump announced plans to exclude illegal immigrants from the next U.S. census and instructed the Commerce Department to begin work on a new census based on the 2024 election results.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Donald Trump, the U.S. Census Bureau, and the Department of Commerce.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The announcement was made Thursday morning on Truth Social, with implications for the 2024 election and 2030 census.

💬KEY QUOTE: “People who are in our Country illegally WILL NOT BE COUNTED IN THE CENSUS.” – Donald Trump

🎯IMPACT: The move could face legal challenges and significantly alter population counts, potentially affecting congressional representation and electoral college votes.

IN FULL

President Donald J. Trump announced Thursday morning that illegal immigrants will not be included in the next census. He directed the Commerce Department to begin work on a “new and highly accurate census” based on data from the 2024 presidential election.

“I have instructed our Department of Commerce to immediately begin work on a new and highly accurate CENSUS based on modern day facts and figures and, importantly, using the results and information gained from the Presidential Election of 2024,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding: “People who are in our Country illegally WILL NOT BE COUNTED IN THE CENSUS.”

The U.S. Census Bureau, which is part of the Commerce Department, currently includes illegal immigrants—referred to as “unauthorized migrants”—in its population counts. These figures are used for congressional apportionment and electoral college votes. The bureau defines the “foreign-born” population to include naturalized citizens, lawful permanent residents, temporary migrants, and unauthorized migrants.

Legal challenges could arise from Trump’s directive, as Section 2 of the 14th Amendment states that representatives should be apportioned based on the “whole number of persons in each State.” However, Trump’s focus on census accuracy comes as Republicans and Democrats battle over redistricting in states like Texas ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

The 2020 census acknowledged errors that led to undercounts in Republican-led states like Florida and Texas, while Democrat-led states such as New York and Massachusetts were overcounted. If Trump’s plan is implemented, states with large illegal immigrant populations—such as California, Texas, and Florida—could see significant changes in their 2030 census numbers.

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State Representative Matt Pierce
August 6, 2025
Politics

Democratic Lawmaker Threatens ‘Knife Fight’ Prior to J.D. Vance Visit.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Indiana Democrats are warning of a potential redistricting battle as Republicans consider redrawing congressional district maps ahead of the 2026 midterms.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: State Representative Matt Pierce, Vice President J.D. Vance, Governor Mike Braun (R-IN), Congressman Frank Mrvan (D-IN), and other state and national political figures.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Indiana, with discussions and meetings taking place this week, including a visit from Vice President Vance to Indianapolis.

💬KEY QUOTE: “I’m sounding the alarm because Democrats in Indiana are in a knife fight to preserve democracy, and we better start acting like it.” – Matt Pierce

🎯IMPACT: The potential redistricting could reshape Indiana’s congressional delegation, targeting competitive districts and sparking broader national debates on gerrymandering.

IN FULL

Indiana State Representative Matt Pierce (D) says that Democrats in the state are in a “knife fight to preserve democracy” as Republicans consider redrawing congressional districts. The threat comes as Vice President J.D. Vance is set to visit Indianapolis this week to meet with Governor Mike Braun (R-IN) to discuss redistricting.

A redrawn Indiana congressional map could potentially target Democratic-leaning seats like the state’s 1st Congressional District, currently held by Congressman Frank Mrvan (D-IN), as Republicans work to solidify their 7-2 advantage in the state’s congressional delegation.

Pierce alleges that Vance is being sent by President Donald J. Trump to push Braun into calling a special session to implement “Texas-style gerrymandering.” In a Facebook video, Pierce stated, “I’m sounding the alarm because Democrats in Indiana are in a knife fight to preserve democracy, and we better start acting like it.” The Indiana Democrat continued, alleging Republicans want to “steal away seats from Democrats because they know they can’t win this election with their failed policies that harm the middle class and then give all the benefits to the wealthy.”

A spokesman for Indiana House Democrats revealed that efforts are underway to mobilize public opposition, including calls to representatives and a sit-in protest. However, Indiana’s legislative rules do not require a quorum for Republicans to pass a redistricting bill, removing a tactic used by Texas Democrats to delay similar efforts.

Governor Braun described his discussions with Vance as “exploratory” with “no commitments” yet. Meanwhile, Democrats in other states like California and Illinois are also considering retaliatory redistricting efforts to counter Republican moves in states like Texas, Missouri, and Florida. Congressman Mike Lawler (R-NY) has called for legislation to ban partisan gerrymandering and mid-decade redistricting, emphasizing the need for competitive districts to improve Congress.

Image by Indiana Public Media.

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