Former President Obama on Tuesday blasted the Texas GOP’s makes an attempt to redraw the Lone Star State’s congressional traces as “an influence seize” that threatens democracy.
“We will’t lose deal with what issues – proper now, Republicans in Texas try to gerrymander district traces to unfairly win 5 seats in subsequent yr’s midterm elections. This can be a energy seize that undermines our democracy,” Obama mentioned in a publish on the social platform X.
The previous president shared a post from All On The Line, a marketing campaign affiliated with the Nationwide Democratic Redistricting Committee (NDRC), selling a digital occasion on redistricting.
Texas Republicans’ proposed redistricting plan, which is backed by President Trump and will internet the GOP five more congressional seats, has spurred conversations about redrawing maps in different states — and prompted Texas Democrats to flee their state.
Texas Democratic legislators over the weekend broke quorum in a last-ditch bid to stall progress on the proposed adjustments, denying the state Home the numbers wanted to maneuver ahead after the GOP-friendly draft advanced out of committee alongside get together traces.
The quorum break comes with massive dangers for the collaborating Democratic legislators, together with $500-a-day fines and the threat of arrest after Gov. Greg Abbott (R) ordered the Texas Division of Public Security to seek out, arrest and return the members. Abbott has additionally floated bribery prices.
The GOP strikes have drawn sharp pushback from Democratic leaders, together with some blue state governors who’ve floated plans to counter any Republican beneficial properties with redistricting in their very own states.
Trump, however, argued on Tuesday that Republicans are “entitled” to choose up 5 extra Home seats in Texas.
The All On The Line marketing campaign, whose publish Obama shared on X, shaped when the Nationwide Redistricting Motion Fund, an NDRC affiliate, merged with one other group based by Obama aides.