The Daily – California Strikes Back at Texas’ Power Grab

Date: August 22, 2025
Host: Rachel Abrams
Guest: Laurel Rosenhall (CA political reporter)

Overview

This episode unpacks the escalating political showdown between California and Texas over congressional redistricting, as both states maneuver to shift the balance of power in the U.S. House of Representatives. With Texas Republicans moving to gerrymander five new House seats, California’s Democratic leaders, led by Governor Gavin Newsom, propose an unprecedented move to temporarily suspend the state's nonpartisan redistricting tradition and push through their own counter-gerrymander—all with voter approval. Rachel Abrams and veteran reporter Laurel Rosenhall discuss the ethics, history, and political gamble involved, as well as the possible ripple effects nationwide.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. California’s Unusual Countermove

• California’s Plan: Following Texas’ aggressive gerrymander to flip five House seats, California plans its own mid-decade redistricting to create five Democratic-favored districts.
  • “One side’s playing dirty, the other side’s going to jump in and play dirty, too.” – Laurel Rosenhall (02:33)
• Process: Unlike Texas, California can’t simply redraw lines by legislative fiat; changes require a public referendum due to a voter-mandated constitutional amendment.
  • “Lawmakers can’t directly change the maps, and they have to go to the voters... politicians don’t have this power to draw political maps.” – Laurel Rosenhall (02:44)

2. Newsom’s Framing: Democracy in Crisis

• The action is justified by Democratic leaders as an emergency response to Trump-era power grabs and a dire need to “save democracy.”
  • “We’re giving the people of this state the power to save democracy, not just in California, but all across the United States of America.” – Gov. Gavin Newsom (05:50)
• Democrats focus their argument on national stakes (“what’s happening in America”), not mere map-making.

3. History of California’s Independent Redistricting

• Background: The state shifted redistricting power from politicians to an independent commission in the late 2000s, pioneered by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
  • “The people of California are not served well by a system that is so gerrymandered that 99% of the incumbents get reelected in the districts that they themselves drew.” – Arnold Schwarzenegger (08:31)
• Adoption was contentious, but voters ultimately supported independent cartography overwhelmingly.

4. Principles In Conflict: Process vs. Outcome

• Current Dilemma: California progressives, long champions of independent redistricting, now propose a “temporary” suspension in response to Republican power plays.
  • “They’re telling voters that this will only be temporary... then California will go back to using its independent commission.” – Laurel Rosenhall (13:04)
• Some see this as sacrificing principle for political expediency; others see it as justified hardball in unprecedented times.
  • “You cannot preserve democracy by suspending it.” – Opponent/testimony, public comment (19:09)

5. Legislative Battles & Public Reaction

• Legislative details reveal a fast-tracked, secretive process, leading to GOP accusations of hypocrisy, lack of transparency, and high costs (~$200M+ for special election).
  • “Republicans are... upset. They feel like Democrats are ramming it through. There’s no transparency.” – Laurel Rosenhall (16:45)
• Public hearings display both institutional Democratic supporter testimony and impassioned grassroots opposition—often emphasizing democratic process and the “will of the voters.”

6. Election Gamble and National Stakes

• Despite being a heavily Democratic state, it’s uncertain if California voters will approve suspending their own reform, even “temporarily.”
  • Independent polls show enduring support for the commission, but also some openness to a temporary rollback.
  • Former President Obama endorsed the plan; Schwarzenegger leads opposition.
• Even if new maps are enacted, ultimate outcomes depend on actual voter behavior—as Democrats have been losing support among some demographics.
  • “...even if these maps are drawn in a way that’s meant to help one party or help the other party, what really matters is who turns out and how they vote.” – Laurel Rosenhall (24:31)

7. Ripple Effects and the Gerrymandering Arms Race

• Possible Expansion: Newsom calls for other blue states to match Republican tactics, but opportunities are limited by state law and political makeup.
  • “One Republican state gets matched by a Democratic state in sort of like a gerrymandering arms race.” – Rachel Abrams (26:08)

8. What’s Really at Stake: Hardball Versus Principle

• Some worry this strategy further erodes public trust and undermines the ethic of good governance.
• Others see it as essential realpolitik in an era where one side refuses to unilaterally disarm.
  • “It wasn’t so long ago that Michelle Obama said, when they go low, we go high. And now we’re seeing... when they go low, we’ll get down there with them and... try to beat them at their own game.” – Laurel Rosenhall (28:31)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Tit-for-Tat Politics:
  • “This is basically, you know, one side’s playing dirty, the other side’s going to jump in and play dirty, too.”
    — Laurel Rosenhall (02:33)
• Why Redistricting Is an “Emergency”:
  • “It’s not good enough to just hold hands, have a candlelight vigil, and talk about the way the world should be.”
    — Gov. Gavin Newsom (05:00)
• Arnold Schwarzenegger on Original Reform Motive:
  • “They have sent me to Sacramento to clean house... 99% of the incumbents get reelected in the districts that they themselves drew.”
    — Arnold Schwarzenegger (07:41, 08:31)
  • “Legislative districts will be drawn by politically diverse citizens and who reflect our state’s population and are free of conflict of interest.”
    — Arnold Schwarzenegger (09:19)
• On Democratic Reversal:
  • “They’re telling voters that this will only be temporary, that this gerrymander will be in place for the next three elections, and then California will go back to using its independent commission.”
    — Laurel Rosenhall (13:04)
• Republican Objection:
  • “You cannot preserve democracy by suspending it.”
    — Public Comment Opponent (19:09)
• Democratic Justification:
  • “But when autocrats change the rules and the norms that we are using to decide who has power, we can either fight back or... permanently lose the ability ever to fight back again in the future.”
    — Gov. Gavin Newsom (20:21)
• On the New Political Ethos:
  • “It wasn’t so long ago that Michelle Obama said, when they go low, we go high. And now we’re seeing... when they go low, we’ll get down there with them and that we’ll try to beat them at their own game.”
    — Laurel Rosenhall (28:31)

Important Timestamps

• 00:26 — Episode introduction; California’s counter to Texas
• 02:33 — Tit-for-tat politics between TX and CA
• 05:00 — Newsom explains urgency and stakes
• 06:31 – 11:31 — The origin of California’s independent redistricting (Schwarzenegger era)
• 13:04 — Democrats’ argument: Temporary measure, not a permanent rollback
• 15:10 — How the bill and special election process is moving through the legislature
• 16:45 – 18:24 — GOP criticism, Dem defense, hearing drama, and transparency concerns
• 19:09 – 21:13 — Emotional public comment, process versus principle arguments
• 23:16 — Schwarzenegger leads the fight to uphold independent mapping
• 24:31 — Limits of gerrymandering: voter turnout and shifting coalitions
• 26:08 — The national “arms race” on gerrymandering
• 28:31 — Shift in Democratic strategy: matching Republican tactics

Conclusion

The episode closes with uncertainty: Will Democratic voters support setting aside their own anti-gerrymandering reforms to check Republican power grabs elsewhere, or will the principle of good governance prevail? Regardless, California is poised for a uniquely consequential vote—not just for House seats, but for the future of political norms in America.

Summary prepared for listeners who want clarity on the California–Texas redistricting feud, its origins, and its potential impact on national politics and democratic process. Advertisements and non-content omitted.