Common Cause, a government watchdog group historically opposed to partisan gerrymandering, announced Tuesday that it will not oppose blue states’ push for mid-cycle redistricting while criticizing Republican-led efforts in Texas.
In a Tuesday policy statement, Common Cause, which describes itself as a “nonpartisan, grassroots organization dedicated to upholding the core values of American democracy,” declined to condemn redistricting efforts in Democrat-run states like California. At the same time, the group accused President Trump and Republicans of “pursuing a calculated, asymmetric strategy” in Texas as part of a “broader march towards authoritarianism.”
Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom and other Democrat governors have threatened to redraw their state’s congressional maps to counter a GOP-led redistricting effort in Texas that could hand Republicans up to five additional seats.
“In this grave moment, we understand why some states, including California, are considering counterbalancing measures in response,” Common Cause said in its policy statement. “We will not endorse partisan gerrymandering even when its motive is to offset more extreme gerrymandering by a different party. But a blanket condemnation in this moment would amount to a call for unilateral political disarmament in the face of authoritarian efforts to undermine fair representation and people-powered democracy.”
No mid-decade gerrymandering for partisan gain.
— Common Cause (@CommonCause) July 30, 2025
No mid-decade gerrymandering for partisan gain. This marks a notable shift for Common Cause, which ran a fundraising pop-up on its website just last week, saying Newsom was “attempting to copy the GOP’s playbook to boost his profile,” according to Politico. In July, the group also called mid-cycle Democratic redistricting attempts “anti-democratic.”
The group was also on the losing side of the 2019 Supreme Court case Rucho v. Common Cause, in which it challenged what it called a partisan and unconstitutional North Carolina congressional map. The court ruled that federal courts could not intervene in partisan gerrymandering.
Common Cause said in its statement that it would not condemn mid-cycle redistricting efforts that follow its “fairness criteria,” which require maps to be redrawn proportionally to the threat posed by gerrymanders in other states, include public participation in some form and expire when new maps take effect following the 2030 census, among other factors.
Common Cause did not respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
However, California’s gerrymandering efforts face significant legal challenges, as the state has had a constitutionally mandated independent redistricting commission in place since 2008. Newsom is considering calling a special election in November for voters to approve a revised congressional map.
Other Democrat governors, such as JB Pritzker of Illinois and Kathy Hochul of New York, have indicated their willingness to redraw their congressional maps in response to Republican-led efforts. Illinois’ legislature-led redistricting process provides flexibility for a mid-decade redistricting attempt, but the state’s already highly partisan map leaves little room for further gerrymandering.
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