Undermining California’s nationally recognized model for fair redistricting would set a harmful precedent nationwide. In Texas, the League of Women Voters is actively fighting extreme partisan gerrymanders, including filing an amicus brief in the case challenging Governor Greg Abbott’s attempt to expel State Representative Gene Wu. To maintain a consistent national standard, states like California must reject partisan gerrymanders – even those framed as temporary – so we can stand united in opposing them wherever they occur.

Furthermore, temporary exceptions rarely stay temporary. Once you break a safeguard, you don’t just risk one or two or three elections, you set a precedent that future politicians can and will use again. This precedent would invite future gerrymanders in California, including from political actors whose policies we may deeply oppose. Long-term damage to democratic norms will outlast any short-term gain.

We understand the urgency. Authoritarianism is not abstract; it is here, and it is dangerous. President Trump has created a constitutional crisis on multiple fronts – assaults to democracy that the League is at the vanguard of fighting. But the way to fight is not to abandon one of California’s greatest democratic reforms.

Archived at https://web.archive.org/web/20250814123313/https://lwvc.org/opposition-mid-cycle-redistricting/