Eric Holder, chair of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, called Texas’ attempt to redraw its congressional maps for the second time in less than a decade “an authoritarian move” by the White House.
Holder, attorney general under President Barack Obama, has led the charge among Democrats to eliminate gerrymandering for years. But speaking with “This Week With George Stephanopoulos” on Sunday, Holder said that Texas’ plan means Democrats need to “do things that perhaps in the past I would not have supported.”
“I think that responsible Democrats in other states have to take into account the threat to our democracy, the need to preserve our democracy, so that we can ultimately try to heal it,” Holder said. “And I would hope that they will take steps that are, again, as I said, temporary but responsible.”
“And we’re seeing talk about that in California, we’re seeing talk about that in New York, as well.
“But those attempts are more longshots, aren’t they?” Stephanopoulos asked, referring to laws on the books in those states that protect against partisan gerrymandering.
Trump’s political operation floated the prospect of redistricting in June in efforts to shore up the GOP’s fragile House majority. Trump said his party could pick up five seats if Texas redraws its congressional map. He suggested that there “could be” other states that follow suit but didn’t identify them.
The Department of Justice told Texas in a letter in July that four majority-minority districts represented by Democrats needed to be redrawn, arguing they were “unconstitutional racial gerrymanders.”
While Holder conceded that the actions Democrats could take would ultimately depend on each state, he argued that those protections are an advantage.
“What they’re trying to do in Texas is simply impose a new map on, an unpopular new map, on the people of Texas. To do it in California, you actually have to go to the people and ask them to suspend that which they have in place, which is a really well-functioning, independent redistricting committee,” Holder said. “So the people will have a voice in what California does. The people do not have a voice, a meaningful voice, it appears so far in Texas.”
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
