Republican Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul warned Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that both Republicans and Democrats’ tugs of war over their respective redistricting efforts may lead to further political violence.
Republican-led states such as Texas, Utah, and North Carolina have pushed to implement a new redistricting effort encouraged by President Donald Trump, while Democrat-led states such as California are pushing back. These nationwide battles have also seen intraparty conflict, with some Republicans in Indiana not following their party’s efforts. NBC’s Kristen Welker likewise asked Paul if he supports the GOP’s efforts to redraw maps mid-decade rather than following the next national census as had been tradition.
“You know, it’s just escalation on both sides — both sides are doing it — and so is one side going to sit quietly and not do it? You can argue who started it. But I do think this — and this is on the the negative aspect of both parties doing this — I think that it’s going to lead to more civil tension and possibly more violence in our country,” Paul responded.
“Because — think about it — if 35% of Texas is Democrat, solidly Democrat, and they have zero representation — or like in my state: we’re a very Republican state but we have one Democrat area in Louisville and we have a Democrat congressman, we can carve up Louisville and get rid of that one congressman — but how does that make Democrats feel?” Paul added. “I think it makes them feel like they’re not represented. And so, I don’t know, I think it’s bad, but it’s really not one party or the other doing it. It’s both parties have been doing it since the beginning of time.”
Paul continued his argument, using California as an example, and noted that if an area’s Republican representation dwindled to just one lawmaker, he believes it would leave constituents “dissatisfied” with the electoral process. Because of that potential for doubt in the system’s integrity, Paul said it could lead voters to pursue “other means” of feeling represented in government.
Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Aug. 14 that California would hold a special election for voters to approve or reject the “Election Rigging Response Act,” also known as Proposition 50, a measure which would implement new “temporary” congressional district maps through 2030.
The move by the Democrat-led state came shortly after an effort pushing for redistricting in Texas, whose state House approved the new maps Aug. 20. California’s Prop 50 passed Nov. 4; reports predict five of the nine House Republicans representing the Golden State could lose their seats.
Welker then went on to press Paul on his statement, asking if he was stating his concerns for redistricting are that it could “lead to more political violence.”
“I’m concerned if there are no representatives, like no Republican representatives in California or no Democrats in Texas, that it will be so thoroughly one side of it, people will feel like their vote isn’t counting,” Paul said.
“And so I think it’s a mistake, but I’m not saying it’s a mistake of the Republicans. I’m saying it’s a mistake of both parties and I don’t know exactly how we deescalate this, because once, you know, Texas is done and changed five seats to be more Republican, California is going to do the same thing. And it’s back and forth and back and forth,” he added. “And how do you put the genie back in the box? I mean, how do you get back to détente? I mean, how do you do something better? But I think there is the potential that, when people have no representation, that they feel disenfranchised, that it can lead and might lead to violence in our country.”
In November, a three-judge federal panel ruled Texas would not be allowed to use its new maps in the upcoming midterm elections, saying they were “racially gerrymandered.” By Dec. 4, however, the Supreme Court took up the case, clearing the way for the Lone Star State to use its new congressional maps.
The Department of Justice has since sued Newsom and California Secretary of State Shirley Weber over the state’s new maps, with a case in state court beginning Monday.
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