California Gerrymander
California governor Gavin Newsom claims that Cali “will be the first state in U.S. history to — in the most democratic way — submit to the people of our state the ability to determine their own” electoral maps.
IN FACT, Newsom’s ballot measure would allow a simple majority to deprive nearly everyone else of democratic representation. Under this plan, 92% of California’s U.S. House seats will be held by Democrats, while 58% of the state voted for Harris, a 34-point gap.
The U.S. House of Representatives is called the “People’s House” and is supposed to be “especially responsive to popular will.” James Madison, the “Father of the Constitution,” wrote that the House “should have an immediate dependence on, and an intimate sympathy with, the people.”
In the 2024 elections, Democrats won 49.4% of U.S. House seats while receiving 47.8% of the votes for U.S. House members, a 1.6 point advantage, which equates to an additional 7 House seats. In contrast, Republicans won 50.6% of U.S. House seats while receiving 50.6% of the votes for U.S. House members, a 0.0 point advantage.
