Democrats go all in on partisan redistricting, including in California

Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin urged members of his party to forget their usual rulebook and go all in on partisan redistricting Tuesday.

Martin made his comments in Illinois, where most of the fleeing Texas Democrats headed to prevent their state Legislature from reaching the quorum needed to consider Republicans’ proposed map that could earn them five additional seats.

The prominent Democrat championing this strategy demonstrates that his party is increasingly ditching play-by-the-old-rules tactics that have limited its ability to push back on Republicans’ pursuit of power at every level of government.

“This is not the Democratic party of your grandfather, which would bring a pencil to the knife fight. This is a new Democratic Party,” Martin said. “We’re bringing a knife to a knife fight, and we are gonna fight fire with fire.”

Martin acknowledged it’s an about-face from Democrats’ usual high road of speaking out against and trying to legislate around the partisan manipulation of congressional districts. But he said that as President Donald Trump and Republicans go to greater lengths to try to seize power, Democrats can’t just “roll over.”

“It didn’t have to be this way,” Martin said, arguing that Texas Republicans’ moves threaten the principle of democratic representation so much that a nationwide redistricting war is “a fight worth fighting with every tool at our disposal.”

Democrats far and wide have been vocal in their support for Texas Democrats. But state leaders are increasingly throwing their support behind efforts to draw new lines that would give an advantage to their party in the House.

Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York told reporters Monday that “the gloves are off.”

“If Republicans are willing to rewrite these rules to give themselves an advantage, then they’re leaving us no choice. We must do the same,” Hochul said. “I cannot ignore that the playing field has changed dramatically, and shame on us if we ignore that fact and cling on tight to the vestiges of the past.”

Gov. JB Pritzker of Illinois, who is seeking a third term as governor but is considered a potential presidential contender, is also among those who have embraced Democrats’ new tactic.

“We’re fighting for democracy. There are no rules anymore, apparently,” Pritzker said as Democrats nodded behind him. “We’re going to have to play by the set of rules that are being set out in front of us, which frankly, none of us believes is the right way to operate.”

National Democrats have been called on by their base to do more to resist Trump. Instead of deferring to their lack of power, they’re nationalizing their Texas counterparts’ battle, egging on a war where most partisan sparring will happen at the state level.

And when it comes to retaliatory gerrymandering, Democratic state leaders are more than happy to answer that call.

Specific plans to pad Democratic margins in response to Texas Republicans’ moves are gaining support in California, as Gov. Gavin Newsom’s gone full speed ahead embracing the strategy in his state. He has argued that the “moral high ground means nothing if we’re powerless because of it.”

Rumblings about other partisan gerrymandering plans in smaller, but still Republican-led, states mean the threat to Democratic House districts won’t end there.

Democrats adopting a total-war approach to manipulating imaginary lines are scaring some Republicans who represent congressional swing districts, or districts that could become more competitive if their boundaries get shaken up. Two so far have said they will introduce legislation to halt all mid-decade redistricting.

While talking big about their plans, Democrats are offering a subtle olive branch — reiterating that they feel Republicans’ maneuvers have finally forced their hands.

“Now is not the time for one party to play by the rules while one party has completely ignored them. They’ve decided to cheat, and we’re gonna respond in kind,” Martin said. “None of us wanted to be here.”

This story was produced as part of a partnership between NOTUS — a publication from the nonprofit, nonpartisan Allbritton Journalism Institute — and NEWSWELL, home of Times of San Diego, Santa Barbara News-Press and Stocktonia.