The Tactics of Political Combat: Gerrymandering and Persuasion

Texas is about to gerrymander five new house seats, and California is ready to retaliate. Gov. Gavin Newsom says that his state will also redraw its congressional maps to create five new districts, effectively fighting fire with fire.

Laurel Rosenhall, who covers California’s government and politics, discusses whether the state’s voters will actually go for this plan, whether it’ll work if they do, and what is at stake either way.

Guest: Laurel Rosenhall, a New York Times reporter covering California politics and government.

Background reading: 

• Mr. Newsom and Democratic state lawmakers moved quickly to create new districts that could help their party flip five congressional seats.
• The Texas House approved a congressional map intended to help Republicans win five more U.S. House seats.

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 

Photo: Mike Blake/Reuters

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